Mbeki to be given time to address Appeal Court

Former president Thabo Mbeki will get about 30 minutes to address the Supreme Court of Appeal on why he must be allowed as a party in the state’s Jacob Zuma appeal hearing.

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) decided on Tuesday that Mbeki’s application would be heard simultaneously with the appeal of the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) on November 28.

The NDPP is appealing against a Durban High Court judgement that declared corruption charges against Zuma invalid.

The court said Mbeki and the South African government should file their heads of argument on both the procedural aspects as well as on the merits of the intervention without delay.

Mbeki earlier asked the SCA to be added as intervening party or amicus curiae [friend of the court] to the NDPP’s appeal hearing in Bloemfontein.

Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Chris Nicholson had held that the decision to prosecute the ANC president was unlawful because the state had failed to take representations from Zuma.

In separate procedures since, Mbeki unsuccessfully challenged, in the Constitutional Court, the same judgement that inferred he politically meddled in the National Prosecuting Authority’s investigation of Zuma.

The Constitutional Court dismissed his application, saying it was “not in the interests of justice” to hear it at that stage.

The Supreme Court of Appeal also announced the time allocated to each party during the appeal hearing at the end of the month.

The NDPP would get two hours to argue their appeal, followed by Mbeki’s 30 minute presentation.

Zuma’s lawyers would get two hours to argue his case. - Sapa