FORMER PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA.
THE new leadership of the ANC in KZN has vowed to support Jacob Zuma until his court battles end.
Speaking outside the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday afternoon, where Zuma appeared, new party chairman Sihle Zikalala dismissed reports that he had dumped Zuma.
“We will support the former president to the end. We will do so without undermining the rule of law,” said Zikalala.
This came after rumours circulated on social media that Zikalala and his provincial executive committee were distancing themselves from the former president.
It was claimed last week that Zikalala had said after a radio interview that he would no longer mobilise ANC supporters to go to court when Zuma appeared.
Zuma was in court with his new legal team led by Mike Hellens.
Zuma’s former lawyer Mike Hulley was formally withdrawn.
Hellens and state prosecutor Billy Downer exchanged tough words while arguing about the postponement date.
Downer proposed to Judge Mjabuliseni Madondo that the case be postponed to the end of August. Hellens proposed 30 November.
He said the defence would no longer apply to the NPA to review the decision to charge his client but would rather focus on an application to dismiss the case.
“We are a new team so we need enough time to go through the documents. We need four months,” Hellens said while arguing for the case to be postponed to November.
His argument proved successful and the case will continue on 30 November.
