Ball in JZ’s court over state funds

Cyril to be guided by courts if Zuma should be funded

President Cyril Ramaphosa will not be fighting for his predecessor Jacob Zuma to continue getting state funding of his legal fees.

Instead‚ Ramaphosa will leave the matter entirely in the courts’ hands.

Zuma is due to appear in the Durban High Court on corruption charges next week – but a senior National Prosecuting Authority source said Zuma’s lawyers had already written to the NPA requesting a stay in his prosecution pending the outcome of his legal fees battles with the DA and the EFF.

Ramaphosa has now filed a notice to abide by the decision of the high court when it decides on applications by the DA to turn the taps off on the government’s continued funding of Zuma’s fees.

He has yet to respond to a similar application brought by the EFF to force Zuma and his lawyers to repay the state money already spent on his criminal defence.

Ramaphosa has indicated that he will file an “explanatory affidavit” in the DA case.

This means that it will now be up to Zuma – as a private individual – to convince the court that he is legally entitled to that state funding.

Zuma’s lawyer Michael Hulley had warned that this looming court battle could delay his trial‚ potentially for years. It also remains unclear how Zuma will pay his defence for his bid to retain state funding.

NPA spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said National Director of Public Prosecutions Shaun Abrahams was now consulting NPA leadership and Directorate of Public Prosecutions of KwaZulu-Natal‚ Advocate Moipone Noko‚ on the issue.