Whitney Mabiya.
The Pietermaritzburg High Court is now hearing the former South African President Jacob Zuma’s case, in which he is requesting the private prosecution of journalist Karyn Maughan and attorney Billy Downer.
A sensitive doctor’s letter was allegedly disclosed by the two, according to Zuma, during his arms deal fraud and corruption prosecution. In that case, Downer is the principal prosecutor.
Zuma’s appearance today coincides with his approach to the Supreme Court of Appeal ,to request permission to appeal a decision made by the High Court which invalidated the private prosecution.
Downer and Maughan’s lack of appearance in court has drawn questions from Advocate Dali Mpofu, Zuma’s attorney.
Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, the Maughan attorney, countered that there was no justification for his client’s attendance.
“The Supreme Court of Appeal could not have been clearer that you cannot allow Maughan to appear purportedly as a criminal, they used the word the dock that’s what we are dealing with today. So she has been excused by the Supreme Court of Appeal.”
“Now what has happened to change this is that there is an application for leave to appeal to the Constitutional Court. This is what has been trotted out as a justification why this order of the SCA should be disregarded, that’s really what we are dealing with,” says Ngcukaitobi.
