Zuma’s lawyers want to know if Khwezi was paid to accuse him
The former president's legal team has requested access to information not contained in the case's police docket.
Former South African president Jacob Zuma sits in the dock of the High Court of Pietermaritzburg on July 27, 2018 for his hearing over 16 corruption charges. He is charged with 16 counts that include fraud corruption and racketeering. These charges relate to 783 payments which he allegedly received as a bribe to protect French arms company Thales from an investigation into the controversial multi-billion rand arms deal. The alleged bribe was facilitated by Zumas former financial adviser Schabir Shaik. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Phill MAGAKOE
Two years after the untimely death of Jacob Zuma’s rape accuser Fezeke ‘Khwezi’ Khuzwayo, the former president’s lawyers have reportedly stated their intention to take the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to court.
This is apparently in an attempt to get the NPA to reveal whether it or anyone else paid Khwezi to open a case against him among other allegations.
Khwezi made the claims back in 2005 and Zuma was acquitted of the charges the following year. Khwezi then went into hiding as she feared for her safety after the trial.
She died in 2016.
ALSO READ: Khwezi’s book details how Zuma ‘forced himself onto a journalist’
According to a report published by Times Live, one of the case’s prosecutors Charin de Beer has slammed any suggestions that Khwezi was paid to go ahead with the case as “absolute nonsense”.
Through his legal team, Zuma is looking to get a permanent stay of the prosecution against him citing pretrial irregularities, charge delay, and trial delay. The legal team will formally lodge an application next month.
“She was not paid to lay that complaint. She was raped. There’s no question in my mind to this day,” added De Beer.
The NPA has declined to comment as the matter is yet to be prosecuted.
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