Former President Jacob Zuma was expected to appear Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday on corruption related charges.
Zuma was expected to continue with his bid to have State Prosecutor, Advocate Billy Downer SC recused from his corruption trial.
In a media briefing held by the Jacob Zuma Foundation on Sunday, spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi, announced that Zuma will institute private prosecution proceedings against Downer.
Manyi further confirmed that “contrary to speculations”, Zuma is expected to make an appearance in person at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday.
In February this year, Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Piet Koen dismissed Zuma’s application to appeal the Downer recusal ruling.
He was then hit with another legal setback when the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) echoed Koen’s words by ruling that there is “no reasonable prospect of success”.
Earlier this month, the SCA dismissed, with costs, the application for leave to appeal by Zuma, not only on the grounds that there was no reasonable prospect of success on appeal but also that there was “no other compelling reason why an appeal should be heard”.
However, Manyi also announced that Zuma’s legal team have filed for a reconsideration application to the president of the SCA. He said they have responded to the ruling and made the request within the allocated 30 days.
Zuma wanted Downer to be removed as the chief prosecutor of his arms deal corruption case, accusing him of compromising bias against him and having acted unlawfully on several occasions while handling confidential information.
