Former President Jacob Zuma will on Wednesday hear the reasons behind Judge Nkosinathi Chili’s dismissal of his application for the recusal of the lead prosecutor in his corruption case Advocate Billy Downer made earlier this year at the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
This comes as Zuma plans to apply for leave to appeal the judgment made in March.
The judge initially said he would hand down his reasons at the end of the criminal trial. However, Zuma’s legal team brought an application about a week ago for the reasons to be made available now.
Zuma together with French arms company Thales are facing charges including fraud and corruption in connection with South Africa’s arms deal in the 90’s.
Zuma has argued as far back as May 2021 in his special plea before Judge Piet Koen that the lead prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer is not fit to handle the corruption case.
In essence, Zuma’s legal team argues that Downer is not impartial.
They further pressed the point with a private prosecution against Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan over the alleged leaking of a doctor’s letter.
So far Zuma has lost all his legal battles on both aspects – right up to the Constitutional Court.
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