Presidency withdraws state capture appeal, Zuma ordered to pay own legal fees

In the North Gauteng Court today, the office of the state president decided to withdraw the application for leave to appeal a High Court judgement related to the public protector’s report on state capture.

The office stated that it is not representing former president Jacob Zuma, who has been ordered to personally pay the legal costs for trying to block the release of the State of Capture report.

The presidency only has to pay the legal costs of today’s legal proceedings, while the costs Zuma has to pay in his personal capacity are estimated at R10 million.

The former president can still approach the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Constitutional Court if he seeks to appeal the personal costs order.

The presidency announced the decision not to pursue an appeal several weeks ago.

Zuma had launched the appeal before he was forced to resign in February. His appeal was against the North Gauteng High Court’s dismissal of his challenge to Madonsela’s directive on the appointment of a judicial commission of inquiry into probe state capture.

The court had ruled that his application had been ill-advised and that he should personally pay the legal costs. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office confirmed that the appeal against this part of the judgment also fell away.

Also read: Zuma’s legal bills were paid by the State ‘as he was in government office’

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