Trial of Jacob Zuma postponed to 4 Feb 2020

The former president faces charges of corruption, money laundering and racketeering linked to the multi-billion rand arms deal at the Pietermaritzburg High Court.

The trial of former President Jacob Zuma has been postponed to 4 February next year.

His trial will then proceed after a 15-year delay.

The former president faces charges of corruption, money laundering and racketeering linked to the multi-billion rand arms deal at the Pietermaritzburg High Court.

Today Zuma appeared alongside representatives of Thales, the French company which is accused of paying the bribes. Both Zuma and Thales deny the charges.

Zuma and Thales are to stand trial for charges which relate to the 1990s arms deal when he was deputy president to the country's second democratic President Thabo Mbeki.

His former financial adviser Schabir Shaik, who allegedly facilitated Thales' payments, was in 2005 found guilty of fraud and corruption and was sentenced to 15 years behind bars.

Last Friday, a full bench of the high court dismissed with costs an appeal by the former President and his co-accused for a permanent stay of prosecution.

According to the judgment, Zuma and his co-accused failed to prove to the court that there were no reasonable and probable grounds for his successful prosecution. 

(With Inputs from South African Government Press Release)