JZ’S legal costs already R10m
If president does not oppose DA’S application to prevent state paying his fees, Zuma could face financial woes while dragging out matter
ZELDA VENTER and SIYABONGA MKHWANAZI
WHILE former president Jacob Zuma is set on fighting the criminal charges against him, it is not exactly clear how many more of these legal challenges will have to be paid for from the public purse.
His prosecution has a long and ongoing history, costing the state dearly.
The DA wants to end this and has demanded Zuma give back the money already spent on his legal quests.
In the next few weeks the DA’S application to prevent the state paying Zuma’s legal fees in the arms deal case is expected to be heard in the High Court in Pretoria.
Zuma could find himself in deep financial trouble if President Cyril Ramaphosa decides not to oppose this application.
Ramaphosa has already pulled the plug on the state paying for his challenge to the former public protector’s State Capture report.
In December Judge President Dunstan Mlambo of the Gauteng High Court ordered that Zuma personally foot the bill for trying to block the report. The judge said Zuma tried to interfere with the constitutional obligations of former public protector Thuli Madonsela.
It is estimated that costs were in the region of R10 million.
Yesterday, spokesperson Khusela Diko did not respond to a text message on whether the president has taken a decision on the DA’S application to either oppose it or not.
Already, Zuma has spent R15.3m in fighting the civil case brought by the DA in 2009 for the reinstatement of 16 corruption charges against him.
The matter has now been placed on the roll at the High Court in Durban.
Opposition parties want Zuma to pay back the R15.3m incurred over the last nine years in the spy tapes case.
DA federal council chairperson James Selfe said the country can no longer continue to pay for Zuma’s legal bill.
“In March, the DA filed papers with the North Gauteng High Court asking it to declare that the agreement between the Presidency and Zuma to cover the legal costs incurred by him for his criminal prosecution be reviewed, declared invalid and set aside,” said Selfe.
He said it wanted every cent of the R15.3m paid in the lpast decade to defend the spy tapes case to be paid back, and that Zuma pay for his arms deal corruption case from his own pocket.
Zuma has yet to file his answers in opposition to this application.
But the possible prospect of digging his hand into his own pocket has not deterred Zuma from turning once again to the court to have his criminal prosecution stayed.
Zuma appeared in court on Friday, but the proceedings were postponed pending the review application.
His advocate, Michael Hulley, said he would file the papers by May 15.
Advocate Gani Hussein, who appeared on behalf of Zuma yesterday, indicated that while the criminal proceedings were postponed to June 8, there may well be other postponements following his review application.
Head of the Pretoria Bar of Advocates, Francois Botes, told the Sunday Tribune that the review proceedings could drag on for at least two years.
He said if Zuma did not get the desired ruling in the Durban High Court, he could go to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.
“Zuma has a history of dragging out matters and to turn to the Constitutional Court for redress,” Botes said.
He regarded Zuma’s chances of succeeding in defending the application that he had to foot his legal bills himself as slim.
“My feeling is that he should fund his own costs regarding his criminal trial. At the end of the day, he is charged as a normal citizen. He is not being charged as the president. No one is above the law. Not even a king, and he is not a king any more.”
Perhaps his financial woes were the reason that Zuma appeared tense on Friday, although he put on a brave face in front of his supporters.
The smartly dressed former president smiled and greeted his supporters in the packed courtroom.
But once seated in the dock as accused No 1, he had a worried expression on his face and looked tense. He fidgeted with his hands on his lap and at one stage placed his hands over his face.
The proceedings were short and sweet, lasting less than 15 minutes.
But once outside the court, when he faced his thousands of supporters chanting his name, he was all smiles again.