Zuma must be held liable: DA

President Jacob Zuma, pictured, will probably make new representations to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) as to why he should not be tried for corruption after his lawyer conceded in the Supreme Court of Appeal that the 2009 withdrawal of the charges was irrational, says the Democratic Alliance.

The chairman of the DA’s federal executive, James Selfe, said the party expected that, should the SCA reject Zuma’s appeal of the High Court in Pretoria ruling that he must face the 783 charges in question, he would rely on the “compromised” National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Shaun Abrahams, to draw the matter out.

“We suspect Mr Zuma will want to make fresh representations about why charges against him should be dropped. He made written and oral representations on why the same charges ought to be dropped back in 2009, and they were rejected,” Selfe said.

“But now he is likely to argue that Mr Mpshe [previously an ally in this matter] was hopelessly inept [as several courts have found] and that, therefore, he is entitled to make representations again, introducing new grounds, including the time that has elapsed since the charges were formulated."

Should this fail, the president could still apply for a permanent stay of prosecution on the charges of corruption, fraud and racketeering stemming from the country’s 1999 arms deal.

“So this saga is by no means over, but we will see it out to the bitter end,” said Selfe.

“In the most recent example of unnecessary litigation costs, Mr Zuma was content to use public money to send large legal teams to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, knowing full well his counsel would concede the original decision to drop the charges was irrational, essentially guaranteeing the court would set the decision aside.

“It is an absolute outrage and Mr Zuma must and will be held personally liable and made to pay for wasting valuable financial resources.” – ANA