Prosecutors erred in case against Zuma

South Africa President Jacob Zuma’s lawyers conceded that a decision by prosecutors to drop bribery and corruption charges against him in 2009 was irrational, opening up the possibility that they will be re-instated.

Zuma’s lawyer announced the assessment at a hearing yesterday at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein. It’s consideration of an appeal by the president’s legal team and the National Prosecuting Authority against a High Court ruling that the decision to drop 783 charges for fraud, corruption and racketeering, was irrational and they should be reinstated.

Lawyers for the prosecutors told the court that they had used the “wrong power” to decide to drop the charges.

The court reserved judgement in the case. It must now decide whether to order the prosecuting authority to either reinstate the charges or use another legal argument to drop them.

“What’s going on here is a masterful legal strategy by Zuma’s lawyer that basically says that the NPA should now be asked to make a rational decision on the 783 charges, not an irrational decision,” said Peter Attard Montalto, chief emerging-markets economist at Nomura International Plc in London.

The revival of the charges will add to pressure on Zuma, 75, who’s faced calls to quit following a succession of scandals, including a finding by the Constitutional Court that he violated his oath of office by refusing to repay taxpayer funds spent on his private home.

Lawyers for the prosecutors told the court that they had used the “wrong power” to decide to drop the charges against Jacob Zuma.