Jacob Zuma can afford his own legal fees, the DA tells high court
Counsel for the DA tells the court that Zuma did not qualify for the state to pay his legal fees because he was charged in his personal capacity
There is no reason why former president Jacob Zuma should not pay the the legal fees relating to his criminal prosecution, given that he earned a salary of about R30m between 1999 and 2017, the DA argued in court on Tuesday. The high court in Pretoria heard arguments in an application brought by the DA to review the agreements between the presidency and Zuma regarding legal costs incurred by him while fighting criminal prosecution. Zuma faces 16 charges of fraud, corruption, money-laundering and racketeering, which stem from 783 payments made to him in relation to the arms deal. The charges were dropped in 2009 but reinstated earlier this year. Zuma was formally re-indicted on March 16 2018, after he made fresh representation to former National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shaun Abrahams protesting the charges. This was after the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) upheld a judgment that found the decision by former acting NDPP Mokotedi Mpshe to drop the charges in 2009 irration...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.