Former president Jacob Zuma was in a jovial mood and was sitting in the prosecutor’s chair at the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg yesterday (Thursday).
Zuma was a private prosecutor, aiming to keep his case against President Cyril Ramaphosa on the roll. The case was postponed to May 26.
He is accusing Ramaphosa of being an accessory and failing to act against state prosecutor Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan.
Zuma accused Downer and Maughan of leaking and publishing his private medical records that were the basis for granting him parole two years ago.
Zuma's legal team indicated that it planned to appeal the High Court ruling which granted Ramaphosa an urgent interdict halting his prosecution by Zuma. The case was heard on Monday.
Advocate Dali Mpofu, Zuma’s lawyer, informed Judge Ishmael Mohamed that his client would appeal Monday’s judgment, but the legal team still has to decide on which court to approach.
Mpofu hinted that Zuma could go straight to the Constitutional Court.
Judge Mohamed granted the postponement.
“The criminal proceedings are hereby postponed to 26 May 2023. The private prosecutor shall at that stage appraise the court regarding any developments in the matter,” said the draft order
The JGZ Foundation’s spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi, said Zuma was happy with yesterday’s proceedings, saying that it proved he had a strong case against Ramaphosa.
“The purpose of that appeal would be to set aside the interdict. Once you set aside the interdict then it means all the arguments that Ramaphosa wants to have, he can have in the criminal court.
“Right now, we have got an unnecessary situation where we’ve got two courts dealing with the same matter. Yet, if you appeal and be struck off whatever, then it doesn't mean he cannot continue with his argument in the criminal court.
“He can still do that, which is what we advised him from day one – that these arguments can be made in a criminal court. There's no point in having this kind of confusing process,” Manyi said.
He also said that Zuma’s court challenge was nothing personal, as reported by some people.
“I think this just shows that in South Africa, the rule of law is supreme,” Manyi said.
Meanwhile, Adv Zandile Mshololo, who was lauded by many South Africans for the role she played in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, quickly gave South Africans mixed feelings after being seen as part of Zuma’s legal team.
South Africans took to social media platform Twitter expressing their views on Mshololo being in Zuma’s team.
User Muimbi PrinceM wrote: “Is that Adv Mshololo? I hope not as I really don’t want her to be associated with losers.”
User Cebisa K wrote: “Zuma has taken a lot of careers down the drain, I think Mshololo will rise from and disassociate herself. She is a brilliant advocate.”
User Nkullu07 wrote: “Adv Mshololo must be ready to be attacked by women and white media like Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane, she needs to be strong.”