DA seeks to speed up Zuma’s ‘spy tapes’ case

The Democratic Alliance (DA) wants to consolidate an application by President Jacob Zuma and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to appeal a high court order that found the dropping of 783 corruption charges against the president irrational.

DA MP James Selfe, who is also the chairperson of the official opposition’s Federal Council, at the weekend said the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), asked the NPA and Zuma for oral evidence as to why they should be allowed to appeal that judgment.

He said due to the NPA and Zuma having made separate applications, the party wanted to combine the case for presentation to the SCA to avoid any long delays to the case.

Selfe was speaking following the DA’s first Federal Council of the year in Cape Town.

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In April last year, a full-bench judgment of the Pretoria High Court found that the decision to drop the corruption charges in 2009 by former national director of public prosecutions Mokotedi Mpshe was irrational and should be reviewed.

The same court later in June refused to grant leave to appeal its ruling to the NPA and the president.

The so-called spy tapes were cited by Mpshe as reason to drop the charges, saying they had proved there was political interference in the decision to charge Zuma.

The dropping of the charges paved the way for Zuma to be elected the country’s president in 2009.

Since then the DA has relentlessly challenged the NPA’s decision and want to see Zuma have his day in court.

The DA Federal Council also resolved to follow up on a number of legal matters, including the public protector’s state capture report‚ as well as considering taking legal action over the Independent Electoral Commission’s ability to deliver free and fair elections.