The Pietermaritzburg High Court has ruled that the long-delayed arms deal corruption case involving Jacob Zuma and Thales must move forward without any further postponements.
Judge Nkosinathi Chili delivered the ruling on Thursday after the State applied for the matter to proceed to trial, regardless of any outstanding interlocutory applications.
Zuma and Thales are facing corruption charges linked to South Africa’s multi-billion-rand 1999 arms procurement deal, one of the country’s longest-running legal battles.
Pietermaritzburg High Court Says Further Delays Would Be A Grave Injustice
In his judgment, Judge Chili said the court had a duty to step in to prevent any more delays in the case.
He said it would amount to a grave injustice if the court failed to intervene to stop the matter from being postponed yet again.
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The State argued that Zuma and Thales have continued to employ what it described as a “Stalingrad strategy” to delay the prosecution.
Prosecutors said the repeated postponements undermine the interests of justice and risk bringing the justice system into disrepute.
Jacob Zuma And Thales Told To Finally Face Arms Deal Charges
Judge Chili said Zuma and Thales must finally have their day in court after years of legal challenges and procedural applications.
The ruling follows the dismissal of Zuma and Thales’ application for a permanent stay of prosecution, which would have halted the case permanently.
With the latest court order, the State and defence teams are now expected to finalise dates for the long-awaited trial.
