Riyaz Patel
DA leader Mmusi Maimane says President Cyril Ramaphosa must confirm “in writing that the state will not pay a cent towards Jacob Zuma’s latest stalling tactic in the form of his appeal.”
This, after the former president said he intends to file an application for leave to appeal last Friday’s KwaZulu Natal High Court’s judgement dismissing his application for a permanent stay of prosecution linked to his corruption case.
“This is yet another conniving move by Zuma to avoid jail for the over 783 counts of fraud, corruption and racketeering as it relates to his role in the infamous Arms Deal,” said Maimane.
The DA leader also wants “update” from the president “as to the process made by the state in recouping public money used over the last decade to fund Zuma’s decade-long plan to escape accountability.”
Maimane said it been almost a year since the North Gauteng High Court ordered Zuma to pay back the monies spent on his legal fees, and the “people of South Africa deserve to know whether this has happened yet.”
“For over 10 years, the people of South Africa have been forced to pay for Zuma’s legal fees as he has used every trick in the book to delay the inevitable.”
Maimane said Ramaphosa should have done “the right thing” and made Zuma pay for his own defence, without the courts forcing him to do so.
“Moreover, that he should have cancelled the agreement between Zuma and the Presidency in which the latter will cover the former’s legal costs relating to corruption charges.”
“We will not relent until Jacob Zuma is held to account for his corrupt actions,” Maimane emphasized.
