Zuma back in court

Excited cleaners at the Pietermaritzburg High Court temporarily dropped their brooms to greet former deputy president Jacob Zuma as he arrived to hear further argument in his trial on Wednesday.

They ululated and sang in their green uniforms as security guards whisked him into the court building through a back entrance.

Zuma also politely put his hands together and said “Sanibonani” (hello everyone) to the reporters and photographers who had flocked towards him in his black pin-striped suit.

Groups of supporters and spectators were beginning to arrive at Freedom Square outside the court, which, to the irritation of some city workers, has been cordoned off.

“There is no activity, why can’t you let us pass through?” an angry man shouted at marshals.

Another, Mandla Mbanjwa, said it was unacceptable to have roads closed to taxpayers.

“I am late for work, this is very disturbing. It is taking us a lot of time to get to work.”

Asked if he was going to attend the trial, a passing pupil said: “I would love to but my matric is very important.”

But Johann Meyer, owner of the nearby Alex the Captain takeaway shop, said of Tuesday’s trade: “The morning was terrible but after 10am it was really nice.

It was a real flow with people coming in all the time.”

His takings for Tuesday were up by more than 10%.

“People have to eat and drink.” he said.

Zuma and his co-accused Thint, two subsidiaries of a French arms company, are asking that the court dismiss the trial because the case has been prejudiced by unreasonable delays caused by the state.

Zuma is accused of having accepted a R500 000 a year bribe from the Thint subsidiaries in exchange for protection into a probe into South Africa’s controversial multibillion-rand arms deal.

Meanwhile, Zuma’s defence team is expected to resume argument against the state’s application for the trial to be postponed.

On Tuesday, advocate Wim Trengove, SC, had said the state would be ready to proceed with its case by October 15 when it would provide an amended indictment.

He also invited the defence teams of Zuma and his co-accused to allow Judge Herbert Msimang to decide whether evidence seized in raids last year was admissible.

Trengove said the main reason the state wanted the adjournment was to allow the completion of legal challenges to search-and-seizure raids carried out by the Scorpions last August.

However Kemp J Kemp, SC, for Zuma, urged the judge to strike the case from the roll, saying the state could bring charges against Zuma again once it had its house in order.

More than 6 000 supporters packed Pietermaritzburg’s Freedom Square outside the court on Tuesday. After court proceedings adjourned Zuma sang his trademark song Leth ‘uMashini Wame (Bring Me My Machine Gun). - Sapa