Pietermaritzburg High Court rejects Jacob Zuma and Thales' appeal in arms deal case
Former president Jacob Zuma has suffered a legal blow
Image: Tumi Pakkies / Independent Newspapers
Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Nkosinathi Chili has dismissed former president Jacob Zuma and French arms company Thales’s application for leave to appeal his earlier ruling in which he dismissed their application for acquittal, clearing the way for the long-delayed arms deal corruption trial to proceed.
Zuma and Thales had approached the court seeking permission to appeal Judge Chili’s June ruling, which rejected their bid to be acquitted before standing trial on charges linked to the controversial 1999 arms deal.
The judge found that the accused had failed to establish reasonable prospects that another court would come to a different conclusion.
The ruling follows years of litigation that have stalled the prosecution, with repeated applications and appeals contributing to significant delays in finalising the matter.
During earlier proceedings, the National Prosecuting Authority urged the court to dismiss the application, arguing that Zuma and Thales were employing what it described as “infinite Stalingrad tactics” to prevent the case from reaching trial. The NPA maintained that the repeated legal challenges undermined the interests of justice and public confidence in the criminal justice system.
Judge Chili previously expressed concern about the cycle of appeals, noting the risk that whatever decision he made could simply be followed by further applications, prolonging an already decades-old case. In an effort to avoid additional delays, he urged both the defence and the State to limit arguments on the merits of the application.
Zuma and Thales face charges of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering arising from the multibillion-rand arms procurement programme concluded in 1999. Zuma has consistently denied wrongdoing, claiming the prosecution is politically motivated, while Thales has also maintained its innocence.
The dismissal removes a key procedural obstacle, allowing the prosecution to proceed with the trial at the Pietermaritzburg High Court after more than two decades of legal delays.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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