Zuma still fighting for Downer's removal in arms deal case

JOHANNESBURG - Former President Jacob Zuma is still fighting for State advocate Billy Downer's removal from the arms deal corruption case.

The matter was back in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Thursday for a pre-trial hearing.

Whether or not the trial will go ahead as planned remains a question because Zuma has now brought an application for leave to appeal the dismissal of his latest application to remove Downer from the case.

In May 2021, Zuma raised a special plea challenging Billy Downer’s title to prosecute, which was dismissed.

He tried to appeal that ruling all the way to the Constitutional Court but with no luck.

He then brought another application for Downer’s removal, based on largely the same grounds of what he claims is bias, which was heard in October last year and which Judge Nkosinathi Chili once again dismissed in March this year.

Zuma’s counsel, advocate Dali Mpofu, did indicate at the time, though, that they already had instructions to lodge an application for leave to appeal. And on Thursday in court, it was confirmed that this had now been done.

Chili didn’t provide reasons for his order in March, saying he would include them in his final judgment on the main matter, and Zuma’s now asking for them for the purposes of moving his application.

The State is pushing for both this request and the application for leave to appeal to be dealt with on Thursday, and the case to be postponed for trial.

The defence, however, wants a postponement for the application to be heard. 

Proceedings continue.