An extraordinary private case got under way on Monday morning in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, with former president Jacob Zuma gunning for a journalist and a prosecutor related to his protracted arms deal corruption trial.
Zuma has accused Maughan of, in August 2021, unlawfully obtaining and publishing the contents of a confidential medical letter from his doctor relating to his fitness to stand trial in the arms deal graft case – also being heard at the Pietermaritzburg High Court – wherein he is accused number one and French arms manufacturer Thales is accused number two.
Maughan and Downer have both said that the medical letter had already been filed by the court and was thus a public document when it was sent to Maughan.Zuma had initially wanted the cases to be consolidated, but this was rejected by the defendants. The matters will, however, be heard together. The former president has 23 names on his witness list.
Maughan has made an urgent application to have the summons Zuma issued against her set aside, saying the NPA has not issued a nolle prosequi certificate for her . She also contends that Zuma privately prosecuting her is an abuse of process, a violation of the right to free media and a violation of the right to freedom of expression.Downer has also launched an application in the high court to have Zuma’s prosecution of him declared invalid and an abuse of process.
“Now, of course, Mr Zuma disputes that, and he’s entitled to dispute that, but that is Miss Maughan’s case. But as a practical matter, because the urgent judge couldn’t hear the matter this morning because he had a conflict of interest, that is the reason that the matter has not been removed from the roll but stood down,” said Budlender.
After leaving the court precinct, Zuma took to an ANC-branded mobile stage, where he started singing and dancing while singing “Umshini wami” and encouraging his followers to join in. He thanked the ANC in KZN for their support and said he was confident he would be successful in his prosecution of Maughan and Downer.
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