State to react to Zuma defence in court

The state was to file an affidavit in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday in response to submissions by Jacob Zuma in his corruption trial.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said the state would react to calls by defence lawyers for a permanent stay of prosecuting or for the case to be struck off the roll.

Meanwhile, weekend reports said the NPA had questioned former South African ambassador to France Barbara Masekela about a meeting between President Thabo Mbeki and French arms company Thint.

The Sunday Times said Masekela arranged the meeting in 1998.

Nkosi declined to confirm that Masekela had been questioned. “I am not in a position to comment,” he said on Monday morning.

Thint is a co-accused in the trial for allegedly having offered the former deputy president a bribe to “protect” the company against possible criminal investigation into the arms deal.

The Sunday Times said Masekela met Mbeki’s legal adviser, Mojanku Gumbi, before NPA investigators questioned her.

Presidential spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga confirmed that the two had met, but said this had nothing to do with the arms deal.

Affidavits filed earlier by Zuma’s defence team suggested Mbeki was better positioned to say whether there was any corruption in the arms deal.—Sapa