Court agrees to give reasons for dismissal of Zuma's latest appeal in case against Downer

JOHANNESBURG - The High Court in Pietermaritzburg has agreed to give full reasons for its dismissal of former president Jacob Zuma’s latest bid to get State advocate Billy Downer kicked off the arms deal corruption case.

After failing to remove Downer via a special plea challenging his title to prosecute, Zuma last year brought an application for his recusal that Judge Nkosinathi Chili dismissed in March.

On Thursday afternoon, Chili did not provide reasons for his decision at the time, and said he would do so when he delivered his judgment on the main matter.

But Zuma has now lodged an application for leave to appeal.

The State was opposed to Zuma’s application and argued that it was up to the court to decide when it would hand down its reasons, as well as that Chili did in March say that he was not persuaded that Zuma had established the retention of Downer as the prosecutor in the matter could prejudice his fair trial rights, and this amounted to at least some reasons having already been provided.

Advocate Dali Mpofu, for Zuma, meanwhile, denied this in his arguments and insisted they needed the reasons to exercise their right to appeal.

In a decision handed down on Thursday, Chili has now agreed to provide them.

And the matter’s been adjourned until 11 September for the delivery of the reasons.

Meanwhile, the MK Party’s Youth League says its losing patience with the National Prosecuting Authority. 

MK Youth League leader Bonginkosi Khanyile said: “The NPA must not be the chaos because young people are losing patience.”

He further accused the courts of being biased against Zuma.

“If the courts have taken a side of becoming an oppressor against the oppressed, then the inevitable is coming.”