In a series of legal blows this week, former South African President Jacob Zuma suffered significant setbacks in his ongoing legal battles. The Jacob Zuma Foundation has announced that Zuma will not be granting any media interviews following the recent court rulings.
One of the appeals that Zuma lost was against President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is currently facing private prosecutions. Another appeal involved lead prosecutor Billy Downer, who is handling Zuma’s arms deal corruption case. Lastly, Zuma also lost his appeal against journalist Karyn Maughan.
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Following these judgments, Mzwanele Manyi, spokesperson for the Jacob Zuma Foundation, stated, ‘Please be advised that the patron of the foundation, H.E President Zuma, will not be doing any media interviews on any matter under the sun.’
Zuma’s appearance in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday was to challenge the immediate enforceability of the order that set aside his private prosecution against Downer and Maughan. However, Judge Gregory Kruger dismissed Zuma’s appeal, stating that it lacked any merits. The court stood by its original reasons and conclusions, firmly believing that another court would reach the same conclusion.
Within 24 hours of this ruling, Zuma faced another defeat in court. His leave to appeal application in the private prosecution of Ramaphosa was dismissed by the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg. The unanimous judgment also ordered Zuma to pay the costs associated with the application.
Zuma had initiated private prosecutions against Ramaphosa just before the African National Congress’ national elective conference in December last year. However, the court ruled that Zuma did not have the authority to prosecute the current president.
With two major court losses in quick succession, it remains uncertain what Zuma’s next move will be in his ongoing legal battles. The former president’s options may be limited, and it is unclear how these setbacks will impact his future legal strategies.
TO: ALL MEDIA
Please be advised that the Patron of the Foundation, H.E President Zuma will not be doing any media interviews on any matter under the sun.
____________________________________— JGZuma Foundation (Official) (@JGZ_Foundation) September 13, 2023
