South Africa: Zuma Revisits Stalingrad Defence in Bid to Delay Corruption Trial

GCIS
Former president Jacob Zuma (file photo).
4 November 2019
allAfrica.com
By Andre van Wyk

Cape Town — Jacob Zuma has appealed a court ruling to try him on charges of corruption, enCA reports. The move comes after the KwaZulu-Natal High Court rejected the former president's bid for a permanent stay of prosecution.

Speaking to AFP, prosecution spokesperson Natasha Kara verified that Zuma lodged his appeal at the eleventh hour, saying: "I can confirm that Mr Zuma has indeed filed the application for leave to appeal on Friday." The move has been used by Zuma's defence team over the course of this legal saga - the Stalingrad Defence - which, according to Judges Matter, is "a strategy of wearing down the plaintiff by tenaciously fighting anything the plaintiff presents by whatever means possible and appealing every ruling favourable to the plaintiff".

Zuma faces a host of graft charges relating to the 1990s-era arms deal when, during his tenure as deputy president, he allegedly received bribes worth R4 million from a R51 billion arms purchase from French weapons manufacturer Thales. Zuma's case was previously postponed to 4 February 2020.

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