President Cyril Ramaphosa Jacob Zuma

President Jacob Zuma addressing the National Freedom Day celebrations held in Manguzi, uMhlabuyalingana Kwa zulu Natal under the theme “The year of OR Tambo: Together deepening democracy and building safer and crime free communities.27/04/2017 Kopano Tlape GCIS

BREAKING: Ramaphosa granted interdict against Zuma’s bid

Ex-president Jacob Zuma accused his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa, of being an accessory in the disclosure of his medical records

President Cyril Ramaphosa Jacob Zuma

President Jacob Zuma addressing the National Freedom Day celebrations held in Manguzi, uMhlabuyalingana Kwa zulu Natal under the theme “The year of OR Tambo: Together deepening democracy and building safer and crime free communities.27/04/2017 Kopano Tlape GCIS

In somewhat of a victory for President Cyril Ramaphosa, the High Court in Johannesburg has granted him an interdict against his predecessor, Jacob Zuma’s private prosecution.

Zuma launched the private prosecution in December, claiming Ramaphosa and Advocate Billy Downer, the prosecutor in his arms deal trial, violated sections of the National Prosecuting Act. This is in relation to the disclosure of Zuma’s medical records.

RAMAPHOSA NOT APPEARING IN COURT ON THURSDAY

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s interdict has been granted, pending the outcome by the High Court in Pretoria, which he had approached to have the private prosecution bid against him declared unlawful, invalid and set aside. The president will also not be present in court on Thursday, when the bid is heard.

In addition, Ramaphosa wants Zuma to pay the costs of the application.

The Jacob Zuma Foundation had previously labelled Ramaphosa’s interdict as an abuse of process.

Meanwhile, legal expert Mpumelelo Zikalala has taken issue with the manner in which Ramaphosa has responded to Zuma, saying the president should have left it all to the NPA.

“On (the) part when it to comes to the merits, I think he is going to be successful because his defence is clear, it says I’m the President, I’m not the one who is supposed to chastise misbehaving prosecutors, this is not my prerogative…His only mistake was launching this particular urgent application and only directing it to the former president and not really directing any instructions to the NPA or forcing them to act in a manner that which they can be able to resolve their mistake,” Zikalala told SABC News.

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