Jacob Zuma, former president, Msholozi, JZ, Pietermaritzburg High Court, KwaZulu-Natal, KZN, Supreme Court of Appeal, SCA, Judge Piet Koen, Billy Downer, Judge Mandisa Maya

Former president Jacob Zuma will be back in court on 1 August after his case was postponed. Photo: GCIS / Flickr

Zuma corruption trial could head into 2023 following postponement

It seems former president Jacob Zuma’s corruption, money laundering and racketeering case has hit another snag.

Jacob Zuma, former president, Msholozi, JZ, Pietermaritzburg High Court, KwaZulu-Natal, KZN, Supreme Court of Appeal, SCA, Judge Piet Koen, Billy Downer, Judge Mandisa Maya

Former president Jacob Zuma will be back in court on 1 August after his case was postponed. Photo: GCIS / Flickr

Former president Jacob Zuma may be in the hot seat until 2023. At the Pietermaritzburg High Court in KZN, his corruption, money laundering and racketeering case resumed on a holding date. The case is pending an application for reconsideration in the Supreme Court of Appeal.

SCA has NOT received papers about the former president’s case

It was revealed that the office of SCA Judge Mandisa Maya had yet to receive the papers regarding Zuma’s case. Judge Maya is the only person who can handle the unusual application.

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Judge Piet Koen was far from impressed after being informed about the above by Prosecutor Billy Downer. Downer told the court that he had checked twice with the registrar of the SCA and that there is still no result.

“I checked with the registrar of the SCA twice and it is confirmed that there is no result yet from the SCA,”

Downer said.

Downer requests a new holding date

Downer further stated that the reason behind the delay of the application is unknown to him. He added that the papers regarding Zuma’s case had been received and are on their way to the Judge President.

“The reason for the delay is unclear to me, but it is not our mandate to interrogate that. The papers have been received and they are on their way to the president. In your lordship’s order of last month, if the reconsideration application is not disposed of by the holding date, which is today, which we are here now, a new date must be determined,”

Downer said.

Judge Koen spoke about delays in the case, making special mention of the French company Thales. 

“I’m also concerned about delays, not just in the case of demonstration of justice but also in terms of the accused, particularly accused number two (Thales). It seems to me that now, in terms of the application for reconsideration, the case is suspended; I don’t have discretion in this matter,”

said Koen.

Judge Koen sets a new date for Zuma’s case

Koen further postponed the matter to 1 August 2022. Koen explained:

“The adjournment is granted that if the application has been determined by the August 1, and no application for leave of appeal to the Constitutional Court has been launched, the trial shall resume at 10am on August 15, and shall thereafter continue until September 16, and again from November 7 to December 2. If the trial is not ready to proceed by the holding date August 1, then a further holding date and date for the continuation of the trial shall be determined.”

Judge Koen explained that if there are any other difficulties with the proposed dates and the trial falls into the second term of next year, the counsel for the accused should inform him, reports IOL.