The Johannesburg High Court in South Africa this Tuesday rejected former President Jacob Zuma's request to appeal the July court decision that prevents the former President from prosecuting the current South African head of state, Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The petition is dismissed with costs [to Zuma]. I must mention that it is a unanimous decision of this court”, said judge Lebogang Modiba, of the High Court of Johannesburg (northern region of the country), in a hearing that took place virtually yesterday.
It is recalled that on July 5, the same court rejected a legal action announced in December 2022 by the Jacob Zuma Foundation against Ramaphosa, accusing him of “serious crimes” that carry a sentence of “15 years in prison”, but without specify the crimes.
Zuma's legal action against his successor is related to the case of prosecutor Billy Downer, who the 81-year-old former President is demanding to recuse himself from a corruption trial against him over an allegedly fraudulent arms deal. in the 1990s.
Zuma also accuses Downer of lacking impartiality and, together with South African News24 journalist Karyn Maughan, of having disclosed information about his medical history.
The former President alleges that Ramaphosa, among others, violated the National Prosecuting Authority Act and was “complicit” in the “crimes committed” by Downer by failing to investigate them when Zuma complained about them, accusations that the presidency described as “false and unfounded”, calling the action an “abuse of the legal process”.
The legal action against the current President was filed one day before the start of the 55th National Conference of the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party, in which Ramaphosa was re-elected leader.
