President Jacob Zuma
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma is racing against time to make representations to the National Prosecuting Authority as to why he should not be prosecuted for corruption.
The Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in October that a decision to drop charges against Zuma in 2009 was unlawful.
The charges related to fraud, racketeering and money laundering.
At the time Zuma was given until the end of November to explain why the charges should not be reinstated. However, NPA head Shaun Abrahams gave Zuma an extension until tomorrow after his lawyers wrote to Abrahams indicating they would not be able to meet the November deadline.
The charges relate to the 1999 Arms Deal scandal and allegations of kickbacks he received. The 18 charges were withdrawn in 2009 just before Zuma was sworn in for his first term as president. However, the DA wanted the charges reinstated and in 2016 a full bench of judges in the North Gauteng High Court overturned the NPA’s decision to drop the charges.
Zuma and the NPA then approached the appeal court.
He previously argued that pursuing the case against him could cause instability in the country. His representations cannot be the same as those he made when he first faced the charges. Zuma is expected to try to use the credibility of the KPMG report used to charge him to his advantage.
