By Thapelo Molefe
Former president Jacob Zuma has suffered another legal setback after the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg ruled that his long-running arms deal corruption trial must proceed.
Judge Nkosinathi Chili delivered judgment on Thursday on the state’s so-called “Stop Stalingrad” application, brought by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) against Zuma and French arms company Thales.
After the ruling, the parties agreed that the trial would start on 1 February 2027 and run for two court terms.
The state approached the court after Zuma and Thales sought to appeal a previous ruling that dismissed their bid to have the charges against them quashed. The NPA argued that the matter had been delayed for years by repeated legal challenges and interlocutory applications.
In his judgment, Chili traced the lengthy history of litigation in the matter, including failed applications for a permanent stay of prosecution, attempts to remove prosecutor Billy Downer
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