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Legal showdown – Zuma vs Ramaphosa battle to continue in court

Published

12 months ago

May 17, 2023

Today, Johannesburg High Court hosts a legal showdown between Ramaphosa and Zuma. Eyewitness News reports that the two will go head to head over the private prosecution that Zuma has instituted against Ramaphosa, accusing him of being an accessory after the fact concerning the claims against state advocate Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan.

In January, the Johannesburg High Court granted Ramaphosa an interim interdict halting the proceedings pending an application that is set down for hearing on Wednesday for a final interdict. Ramaphosa seeks to have the two court summonses he received in December reviewed and set aside. He also wants the nolle prosequi certificates that Zuma relies on reviewed and set aside insofar as they are “interpreted” to relate to him.

Ramaphosa relies on five grounds of review, including that the purported criminal prosecution is for an ulterior motive and is frivolous and vexatious. In addition, he has labelled it an abuse of the court process. Finally, he is adamant that the court should not pursue any valid criminal offence with reasonable prospects of success.

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According to Ramaphosa, the prosecution could not genuinely be to obtain a criminal conviction and is instead harassing him for political ends. Ramaphosa’s legal team will argue that Zuma’s accusations are unfounded and based on conjecture rather than evidence.

The outcome of this case will be significant for both Ramaphosa and Zuma. It will determine whether Ramaphosa can continue as president without the threat of a private prosecution hanging over his head. It will also determine whether Zuma’s allegations against Ramaphosa are substantiated and could have implications for his future legal battles.

The case has attracted significant public attention, with many South Africans closely following the proceedings. All eyes will be on the Johannesburg High Court on Wednesday as Ramaphosa and Zuma prepare to square off in what will likely be a heated legal battle.

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