Zuma set to present argument in court

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma is expected back in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in the coming weeks to back the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) decision to drop charges against him ahead of the elections in 2009.

This comes as Zuma enters his last year as leader of the ANC and two years before he completes his term as president.

Zuma has been in and out of court over the corruption charges over the last eight years since then NPA acting head Mokotedi Mpshe dropped the charges.

Yesterday, the official opposition said it was waiting on the SCA to give them a date for the oral argument with Zuma.

This followed the SCA’s ruling in October that Zuma needed to file extra papers and present an oral argument in court.

The president is appealing the decision of the North Gauteng High Court that the NPA should reinstate the charges against Zuma.

But Zuma went to the SCA to appeal the matter and in the coming weeks the court will hear oral arguments.

Zuma’s spokesperson, Bongani Ngqulunga, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The opposition parties have been calling for Zuma to have his day in court.

But the president has fought against the reinstatement of the charges.

The Constitutional Court refused to hear an application by the NPA after the high court said the charges must be reinstated.

The North Gauteng High Court ruled in February that the NPA decision to withdraw charges was irrational and must be set aside.

A full Bench of the high court heard the application between Zuma and the opposition.

Zuma was facing a challenge within the ANC after some of its members and veterans called for him to go.

But he refused to go, saying he did nothing wrong.

This was after then public protector Thuli Madonsela released the state capture report.

The president is contesting the report.

At the January 8 celebrations of the party’s birthday, he described Andrew Mlangeni and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela as the real veterans of the ANC.

The two ANC stalwarts were attended the celebrations in Vilakazi Street, Orlando, last Friday where Zuma addressed the crowd.

His supporters in the ANC backed him and said he would complete his term as both head of state and leader of the ANC.

The court hearing in the SCA will begin at the time factions in the ANC are at each other’s throat on who will succeed him at the party’s conference in Gauteng in December.