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By Sihle Mavuso 
3h ago
Durban – The single corruption trial of former President Jacob Zuma and French arms manufacturer Thales faces three new hurdles that should be overcome before it takes place in February, as anticipated by the state.
The obstacles emerged from a statement released by the National Tax Authority (NPA) on Tuesday shortly after the Pietermaritzburg High Court postponed the pre-trial hearing until December 8.
In this case, Zuma is accused of pocketing millions in bribes from Thales that were allegedly funneled through a company owned by Schabir Shaik, a Durban businessman who in 2005 was sentenced to 15 years for almost similar crimes.
The bribes were allegedly paid to Zuma to secure some lucrative contracts for Thales in the late 1990s, when the new democratic ANC government spent billions buying weapons to modernize the South African military on three fronts: land, air and sea. .
Zuma has repeatedly denied the charges and said his prosecution is part of a political plot to persecute him. A few days before the matter returned for another hearing where it was clear that it was going to be another adjournment, all parties agreed not to be present in the higher court.
Tuesday’s postponement was announced in the absence of Zuma and his lawyers, NPA prosecutors, Thales lawyers and their representative from France. Before the hearing, all parties agreed that they should not meddle in court, as it was quite clear that the case would be postponed as it happened in June.
In a statement released by Natasha Kara, a spokeswoman for NPA KZN, the decision to postpone was because the French arms dealer wants the racketeering charges dropped.
“By agreement, all parties have agreed to provisionally postpone the matter for the resolution of pre-trial management issues, namely: 1. Thales’ request for review (to quash the organized crime charges against him) . 2. Thales request for more information from the State. 3. Greater clarity on the resumption of international travel under Covid-19 restrictions affecting the witnesses and Thales representative, from abroad, ”said Kara.
Thales’ decision to challenge the extortion charges was the reason the case was previously postponed.
While Thales said Monday that it does not comment on the ongoing court cases against him, Independent Media understands that his case against the NPA will be heard on October 27.
Political Bureau
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