No More Delays: Zuma and Thales Must Face Arms Deal Trial, Judge Rules

It was a pivotal Tuesday morning in the Pietermaritzburg High Court as a years-long legal tug-of-war came to a head. Former President Jacob Zuma and French arms company Thales were back in front of Judge Nkosinathi Chili, hoping to finally derail the corruption trial that’s loomed over them for nearly two decades. They didn’t succeed.

Both Zuma and Thales had pleaded for a permanent stay of prosecution, arguing that the case had dragged on too long, witnesses had died, and a fair trial was now impossible. But Judge Chili was unconvinced. His ruling? The trial must go on.

What they argued: Lost time and lost witnesses

Thales, through its legal team, said it had been forced to appear in court over a dozen times since 2021 for delays that were not of its own making. Its attorney, Cameron Dunstan-Smith, painted a picture of a company stuck in a legal limbo with no witnesses left to defend it. Their most vital representatives, Alain Thétard and Pierre Moynot, are both deceased.

Zuma’s lawyers took the same line, claiming that the case was now unwinnable for the state. His legal team insisted that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had lost its shot, and that continuing would be a miscarriage of justice.

But the court didn’t buy it.

The state strikes back

The NPA countered these claims with a firm stance: delays were largely a result of Zuma’s own tactics. Repeated applications, appeals, and attempts to remove prosecutor Billy Downer have bogged down the case. According to state prosecutors, Zuma had consistently tried to throw legal wrenches into the system, avoiding accountability through what some called a “Stalingrad strategy” of endless litigation.

They also rejected Zuma’s claim that the death of witnesses meant he couldn’t be fairly tried. The state maintains that Zuma himself was directly involved in the events under investigation, and thus the case remains strong without third-party testimony.

A judge’s patience wears thin

This wasn’t Zuma’s first attempt to sideline Downer. In fact, it was his second bid to get the prosecutor removed, and another in a series of failed efforts to delay his trial. In April, Judge Chili had already ruled against removing Downer, concluding that Zuma’s rights wouldn’t be compromised.

That decision triggered yet another appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal. Zuma’s argument? The court was dragging its feet and failing to respect the gravity of the case. He even compared the delay to the infamous 2004 New Clicks case, calling the court’s pace “inexplicable inaction.”

But Chili remained resolute. He dismissed both the Thales and Zuma applications for summary acquittal, stating that the trial will proceed as planned.

Another legal brick wall for Zuma

Zuma’s recent legal manoeuvres also included an attempt to privately prosecute Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan. The courts ruled those actions were an abuse of process, noting they were intended solely to frustrate the legal system. One judge even called Zuma’s prosecution of Downer “hopeless” and “obviously unsustainable.”

Despite these stinging defeats, Zuma has remained steadfast in his belief that the system is against him. He insists that the act of launching a private prosecution shows valid concern about bias, regardless of how it turned out.

But after years of postponements, Judge Chili’s latest ruling could mark the beginning of the end for Zuma’s legal stall tactics.

What happens now

The arms deal corruption trial is back on track, and Zuma will now have to face 18 charges including corruption, racketeering, fraud, and tax evasion. The trial was declared ready three years ago, but Zuma’s numerous legal challenges have kept it in limbo.

With Judge Chili drawing a line in the sand, the former president and Thales can no longer rely on delays to avoid prosecution. Their arguments about fairness and lost witnesses may have emotional weight, but the court has made clear that justice delayed cannot be justice denied.

Justice can’t wait forever

For years, South Africans have watched the arms deal saga unfold like a slow-motion political drama. With today’s decision, the courts have sent a clear message: delay tactics won’t protect anyone from facing justice. It’s time for the facts to be tested in open court.

The eyes of the nation—and the world—will be on the Pietermaritzburg High Court in the coming months. One way or another, the truth must come out.

{Source: The Citizen}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com