Zuma’s plea for stay of execution on corruption charges reportedly turned down

The head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Shaun Abrahams, has reportedly shown no interest in a plea from former president Jacob Zuma to have prosecution proceedings against him delayed.

News24 reported on Tuesday that Abrahams wrote a letter to Zuma’s lawyers on Monday in which he said he “regrettably” could not agree to a “stay of proceedings in all criminal and allied matters”.

It means that Zuma will once again have to appear in the high court in Durban on Friday in a case related to the arms deal and in which he faces 16 charges. He was initially charged with corruption, money laundering and racketeering in 2005 before those charges were dropped in 2009. They have since been reinstated.

Zuma has reportedly run out of money to pay his advocates to mount his defence. He appealed to Abrahams for a stay of prosecution on the basis that the decision on who will be paying his legal costs is currently not resolved.

The matter of who should pay for Zuma’s legal fees came to the forefront after President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed that Zuma’s legal defence had cost taxpayers R15.3 million to date. The president added that the state would continue to pay Zuma’s fees until the “fees deal” covering the former president has been set aside by a court.

Ramaphosa explained that the deal that was struck between then president Thabo Mbeki and Zuma in 2006 had been based on the provisions of the State Attorney Act. It continues to be in force.

The DA announced it would approach the court to set aside the decision to allow taxpayers’ money to be used to pay Zuma’s legal fees.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko said in response that “the president will await the court challenge, look at the merits and then take a decision based on that”.