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By Sihle Mavuso 
1 hour ago
Durban – Irritated by yet another postponement of former President Jacob Zuma’s corruption, fraud and money laundering case, his supporters want the case removed from the list until all legal hurdles have been resolved.
Supporters reacted to Sunday’s confirmation by the National Tax Authority (NPA) that the highly publicized trial would be postponed in absentia after all parties involved mutually agreed that they need not be present in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday. .
This postponement was necessary due to the fact that the same higher court has yet to rule on Thales’ request to force the NPA to drop the racketeering charges that it filed against him as Zuma’s co-defendant in the matter. Thales argues that he was not part of the organized crime company as the NPA alleges in the charge sheet.
In the case, Zuma is accused of pocketing bribes during the 1998-1999 gun purchase. He denies the charges against him, saying they are politically motivated. The bribes, including an annual advance of R500,000, were allegedly paid by his former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, and came from Thales, a French arms company that won some tenders to supply weapons during the acquisition.
The president of the Champions of Radical Economic Transformation at KZN, Nkosentsha Shezi, a longtime Zuma backer, said they fully agree with those who say the case should be dropped until the NPA house is in order.
“Very simply, this case should be removed from the list until the Thales case is resolved. By the way, we have always believed that this case is politically motivated and the state has no winnable case against the (former) president. Recently, the former director of the NPA admitted that there was no winnable case against Zuma, “said Shezi.
Carl Niehaus, spokesman and member of the national executive committee of the MKMVA (Umkhonto Wesizwe Military Veterans Association) said the call was “strong” but only Zuma’s lawyers could decide.
“The logic of the argument is sound, but as MKMVA we have not formally met to discuss that. We have to give the Zuma legal team time to analyze that, ”he said.
While Zuma’s investigating attorney, defense attorney Eric Mabuza, did not comment on the latest twist in the case, NPA spokesperson Bulelwa Makeke confirmed the settlement not certified by all parties.
“We are waiting for the presiding judge to sign the draft consent order, so at this time it is open,” Makeke said.
Political Bureau
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