Mpofu denies ‘Stalingrad’ tactics, insists Zuma wants trial to continue
Jacob Zuma’s legal counsel, Advocate Dali Mpofu, believes the former president has done everything possible to prevent further delays to his corruption trial.
Zuma’s legal team has asked the Pietermaritzburg High Court to postpone the case indefinitely as he pursues various appeal applications, including for the removal of prosecutor Billy Downer from the case.
The former president faces charges of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering over the multi-billion-rand deal.
The trial was set to begin on Monday at the Pietermaritzburg High Court, but Zuma’s legal team has once again filed a postponement application.
State prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer told the court the latest application is part of Zuma’s so-called Stalingrad legal strategy to delay trial.
He reminded the court that the latest trial date came after nearly two decades of delays.
“The augment of the Superior Court Act that effectively disallowed criminal appeals to the SCA before conviction, was designed to prevent piecemeal appeals and delays in criminal matters,” Downer said.
“So, should the application for postponement be granted, the effect of delaying the trial will be to achieve what this court seeks to avoid. It makes this case special given its background on delays and the effects of countless applications, all of which have been refused.
“If this application for postponement is granted pending further appeal procedures that mean that good order in trials would be frustrated, and that is the frustration in this case because we don't seem to be getting anywhere.”
But Mpofu refuted this, saying Zuma has done everything in his power to ensure he gets his day in court.
“This gratuitous insult of ulterior motive and Stalingrad and delays and so on, it is not born out by the evidence before your lordship. I don’t know what happened in other courts, but before this court my lord, Mr Zuma has consistently done everything in his power for this matter to proceed. On the 22 and 23rd of September, while he was entitled to be here, he waived his rights to be in court so that the matter might proceed, today he has done the same thing,” said Mpofu.
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