NPA says it is ready to face Zuma in court
State says failure to respond to accused’s stay application is mostly due to volume of papers filed
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has rejected any suggestion that it is struggling to rebut Jacob Zuma’s application that corruption charges against him be permanently dropped. The prosecution authority said it only missed a court deadline to do so because, among other reasons, of "the voluminous nature of the papers filed" by the former president’s legal team. It is the first time in the 17-year history of the corruption investigation and prosecution of Zuma, that the NPA, which has routinely accused Zuma of using court process to delay his trial, has failed to meet a court deadline. The state is adamant that this delay will not affect the hearing of Zuma’s stay application, which is due to take place from May 20-23. The state’s failure to respond to Zuma’s application on time, however, arguably demonstrates that the NPA — which fought tooth and nail to defend the decision to withdraw the prosecution against Zuma — may be finding it difficult to again insist that he must fa...
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