WATCH LIVE: Zuma, Thales corruption back in court

Former president Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial continues in the High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Monday morning.

Zuma, however, will not be attending proceedings.

The 80-year-old former statesman and French arms firm Thales are facing 18 counts of corruption, including money laundering, tax evasion, and racketeering, in connection with the multi-billion rand arms deal.

Zuma guns for Billy Downer

Zuma’s corruption case, which was last heard in August, was postponed to allow the Constitutional Court to rule on his latest legal bid to remove Billy Downer as lead prosecutor on the case.

Should the apex court dismiss the application, Zuma’s long-awaited trial is expected to begin in November.

So far, Zuma’s attempt to remove Downer from his case failed at the Supreme Court of Appeal, with President Mandisa Maya dismissing his special plea application in May.

Zuma then demanded the Constitutional Court intervene and order Judge Maya to reconsider her decision

The former president has been relentlessly trying to remove Downer from his case, arguing that the veteran prosecutor is weaponising the arms deal fraud and corruption case against him in an apparent personal crusade.

Zuma remains adamant that Downer lacks impartiality to bring the matter to trial.

But this application is widely viewed as yet another flawed attempt at stalling his day in court.

Private prosecution of Downer and legal journalist

In June this year, the NPA gave Zuma a nolle prosequi certificate – which allows someone to pursue a private prosecution, after the state body declined to prosecute Downer, citing a lack of evidence on the matter.

The former president’s private prosecutions case, which includes Downer and legal journalist Karyn Maughan, was heard in the same court last week.

In this case, Zuma alleged that Downer leaked sensitive information relating to his medical condition to Maughan illegally.

Both Maughan and Downer have denied any wrongdoing.

Last week, Maughan and Downer had brought an urgent application to set aside Zuma’s prosecution.

That case was stood down due to the judge’s conflict of interest. 

But a new judge will be allocated when the matter returns to December.

Watch the live coverage, courtesy of eNCA, below:

NOW READ: Karyn Maughan, Billy Downer’s application to set aside Zuma’s prosecution to be heard in December