Jacob, Duduzane Zuma leave their fate in the hands of the same lawyer

A new criminal advocate is representing former president Jacob Zuma, the same man who appears to be representing his son, Duduzane.

Senior council Mike Hellens will replace Advocate Kemp J Kemp, Zuma’s previous representation, and will act for the former president when he appears in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on July 27.

Hellens’ is currently handling Duduzane’s culpable homicide trial over the death of Phumzile Dube and Jeanette Mashaba.

Zuma is being charged with corruption, racketeering and tax evasion related to alleged corrupt dealings with former financial adviser Schabir Shaik and French arms company Thint.

The costs to Zuma’s prosecution will be paid by the state after President Cyril Ramaphosa agreed to foot the bill. This, however, will depend on the finalisation of a DA and EFF court challenge of the legality of the funding.

The former president hired Lungisani Daniel after letting go of Michael Hulley in June, according to The Daily Maverick.

Zuma’s new attorney Dan Mantsha, who replaced Michael Hulley last month, was once struck off the roll and allegedly later found to be a willing foot soldier for the Guptas while he was board chairperson at Denel.

He was struck off the roll of attorneys in 2007 after a “litany” of complaints from clients. The court judgment reportedly found the public needed to be “protected” from him.

Mantsha was readmitted in 2011 and served as a special adviser to then minister of communications Faith Muthambi in 2015 while the public broadcaster was under the guidance of then chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

He became the chair of Denel that same year. The Gupta emails allegedly reveal he promptly set about sharing Denel’s confidential information with Gupta associate Ashu Chawla and met with the family in India and Dubai on “five-star trips”.

Mantsha was removed as Denel chairperson in March after Pravin Gordhan was named as the new public enterprises minister. He went back to being a practising attorney in law firm Mantsha Attorneys.