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Former President Jacob Zuma.
Gallo Images / Thulie Dlamini
- The National Tax Authority has moved to counter the impression that Jacob Zuma’s next court appearance should be the start of his trial date.
- This comes after the Zuma foundation issued a statement, suggesting that the criminal matter was postponed to a date in May.
- The NPA says it is “extremely false” to claim that the trial was set for February 23.
The National Tax Authority (NPA) says former President Jacob Zuma’s court appearance on Tuesday was never set as the start of his corruption trial.
This comes after the JG Zuma Foundation issued a statement saying that it hoped the judiciary would not tolerate further postponements in the criminal trial of Zuma and his co-defendant, the French arms company Thales.
“While we, as a foundation, doubt the good faith or willingness of the State to execute this case, we hope that our judiciary will not tolerate any postponement beyond the date,” the statement read.
The foundation further noted that the state said it would be ready to start on May 17, 2021.
READ | Karyn Maughan | Why Jacob Zuma should be concerned about defeating Thales’s organized crime challenge
He further stated that “these postponements” continue with “Zuma’s right to be continuously violated and the narrative of his guilt continues.”
“We hope that the judiciary will not tolerate any further abuse of the process. In fact, delayed justice is justice denied and this has been [former president] Zuma’s lived reality and the experience of the criminal justice system, ”said the foundation, adding that it will continue to ask the Judiciary to dismiss this case until the State is ready.
Earlier this month, News24 reported that the trial of Zuma and Thales could begin in May, after the arms dealer indicated that he would not oppose a ruling that dismisses his attempt to dismiss the organized crime charge they face.
On Sunday, the NPA declared that it was “extremely false” to pretend that the trial was scheduled for February 23.
The tax authority further noted that when the matter was postponed last year, the court said: “The matter is provisionally until February 23, for the resolution of the following pending pre-trial management issues with a view to the court in the provisional hearing on February 23, 2021 certifying that the matter is ready for trial in accordance with the presiding judge’s pre-trial hearing directives on November 7, 8 [2020]. “
In an earlier report, NPA spokesperson Sipho Ngwema told News24: “Indeed, we are pleased to hear that Thales has chosen not to appeal the dismissal of its challenge to the racketeering charge. We are also delighted that the State and Thales are ready for trial pretty soon, in the next three months or so. “
The case is back in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court on Tuesday, when a date is expected to be set for the start of the trial.
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