Jacob Zuma’s arms deal trial has been postponed to May 17 after the former statesman failed to appear at the Pietermaritzburg High Court citing health reasons.
The postponement of the trial by judge Piet Koen will allow the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) president Mandisa Maya to determine Zuma’s reconsideration application regarding the SCA’s dismissal of his “special plea” efforts to impose the exclusion of lead prosecutor Billy Downer.
Koen confirmed that if the reconsideration application is not finalised by May 17, the trial would resume so another trial date could be set.
The Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi, welcomed the postponement of the trial.
Manyi said: “The judgment today signals the upholding of the rule of law. The judgment today shows that at some point, the Zuma laws are not applied … President Zuma was not done any favour because he is not well.”
Manyi said the former president had not been feeling well since late on Sunday, adding that his medical team had instructed that Zuma was not in a condition to be present in court for the proceedings on Monday.
Zuma is now also calling for the private prosecution of Downer, contending that he leaked crucial information about his health to the media.
Alongside the French arms dealer Thales, Zuma faces multiple charges of fraud, racketeering, and money-laundering linked to the multibillion-rand arms deal struck in the 1990s.
Also read: Jacob Zuma skips arms deal trial because ‘he is not well’
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