JZ backers want corruption trial struck off the court roll
IMPATIENT supporters of former president Jacob Zuma wants his corruption, fraud and money laundering case struck off the court roll until all legal hurdles attached to it are fully resolved.
The supporters were reacting to yesterday’s confirmation by the National Prosecuting Authority ( NPA) that the highly-publicised trial would be postponed in absentia after all parties involved mutually agreed that there is no need for them to be present at the Pietermaritzburg High Court tomorrow.
The order has to be made official by a judge. This postponement was made necessary by the fact that the same high court is yet to rule on the application brought by Thales to compel the NPA to drop the racketeering charges it brought against it as Zuma’s co-accused in the matter.
Thales argued that it was not part of the racketeering enterprise as the NPA alleges in the charge sheet.
In the case, Zuma stands accused of pocketing bribes during the 199899 procurement of arms. He denies the charges against him, saying they are politically motivated. The bribes, including a R500 000 annual retainer, were allegedly paid by his former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, and they came from Thales, a French arms company that won some tenders to supply arms during the procurement.
The chairperson of the Radical Economic Transformation (RET Champions) in KZN, Nkosentsha Shezi, said they fully agree with those who say the case should be struck off the roll until the NPA’s house was in order.
“Very simply, this case should be struck off the roll until the Thales case is resolved. By the way, we have always believed that this case is politically motivated and the state has no winnable case against the (former) president. Recently, the former director of the NPA admitted that there was no winnable case against Zuma,” Shezi said.
Umkhonto Wesizwe Military Veterans Association spokesperson Carl Niehaus said the call is “sound” but only Zuma’s lawyers can decide.
“The logic of the argument is a sound one but as the MKMVA we have not formally met to discuss that. We have to give Zuma’s legal team time to look at that,” he said.
While Zuma’s instructing lawyer, advocate Eric Mabuza, did not comment, the spokesperson of the NPA, Bulelwa Makeke, confirmed the uncertified agreement by all parties.