Zuma’s corruption trial postponed, warrant of arrest stayed

Former president Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial has been postponed to 23 June, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Wednesday.

The spokesperson of the NPA in KZN Natasha Kara said in a statement: “By agreement, all parties have committed to the provisional postponement of the matter for the following purposes: firstly, the continuation of pre-trial management; secondly, the result of accused number two’s (Thales) application to the Constitutional Court for leave to appeal against the Pietermaritzburg High Court’s judgment in October 2019; thirdly, an inquiry in terms of section 170 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Act, no. 51 of 1977 regarding accused number one’s (Zuma) failure to appear at the hearing on 4 February 2020.”

In February, the Pietermaritzburg High Court issued a warrant to arrest Zuma for failing to appear in court, but it was stayed until 6 May.

On Wednesday, Kara said the warrant of arrest for Zuma would be stayed until 23 June.

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Zuma’s then lawyer Dan Mantsha had claimed that the former president was genuinely sick and he, Mantsha, submitted a sick note from a military hospital but Judge Dhaya Pillay questioned this, as the note had allegedly been altered.

Mantsha has since been replaced by well-known lawyer Eric Mabuza, who will represent Zuma in his upcoming trial.

The former president recently withdrew his Constitutional Court application to have his prosecution stayed for alleged corruption related to the arms deal.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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