Cape Town – Former South African president Jacob Zuma’s family has reportedly pleaded with the courts to let him “rest”.
This comes after Zuma’s graft case was postponed to August 1, 2022, by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday, according to SABC.
“We cannot wait until these cases are over. We are really tired. He is tired. These cases never end. Let him rest. When will it end?,” Times Live quoted Zuma’s brother Joseph as saying.
“He wasn’t OK recently but the doctor often comes to see him here [in Nkandla]. When the situation is too serious, he is referred to a hospital. He is OK now,” another family member Khanya said as quoted by the report.
Zuma’s trial had been hitting snags, with the latest one being his application to the outgoing President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Justice Mandisa Maya, to relook at the court’s decision to dismiss without any hearing his application for the recusal of the NPA’s advocate Billy Downer SC, IOL reported.
In October, Zuma asked for Downer to be dropped from the case, accusing him of bias. He contended Downer leaked confidential documents to the media.
ALSO READ: ‘He’s unwell’ – Foundation says Jacob Zuma admitted to hospital, undergoing tests
The former president faces 16 counts of fraud, graft and racketeering over the purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and equipment while he was vice president in the 1990s.
Zuma’s reconsideration application to the President of the Supreme Court of Appeal is still pending.
“I checked with the registrar of the SCA twice and it is confirmed that there is no result yet from the SCA in respect of the Section 17 (2)(F) application of Mr Zuma’s. The last message I received from the registrar was that it was on its way to the president. The reason for the delay is unclear to me,” EWN quoted Downer as saying.
IOL reported that Zuma’s application to Judge Maya was equivalent to an appeal. As such, they could not carry on before the application was heard.
The High Court has ruled that should the appeal process be finalised by August 1, the trial will start on August 15, according to SABC News.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: Twitter / @KingMntungwa
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
Additional reporting by AFP
