/ 22 August 2014

President Zuma, DA meet SCA deadline in spy tapes case

A SCA court official has confirmed that papers were sent to the court by Friday's 4pm deadline in the matter between President Jacob Zuma and the DA.
A SCA court official has confirmed that papers were sent to the court by Friday's 4pm deadline in the matter between President Jacob Zuma and the DA.

Papers have been filed at the Supreme Court of Appeal by Friday’s deadline, as agreed upon in the appeal hearing on the so-called spy tapes litigation.

A SCA court official confirmed that papers were sent to the court by Friday’s 4pm deadline in the matter between President Jacob Zuma and the Democratic Alliance. It is not known what the documents contained. 

On August 15, a full bench of the SCA gave Zuma and the DA another chance to resolve their differences with regard to documents in the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) possession, involving the so-called spy tapes. 

In April 2009, then acting NPA head Mokotedi Mpshe withdrew fraud and corruption charges against Zuma. In March last year, the SCA ordered the NPA to lodge a record of the documents on which the NPA based their decision, with the registrar of the high court. The NPA refused to do so on the basis that it contained confidential representations by Zuma. 

Reduced record
The High Court in Pretoria then ordered the NPA to adhere to the original order by the SCA for a reduced record of the documents that the DA was looking for. They included the so-called spy tapes. Zuma appealed against this decision. 

During a SCA appeal hearing last week, the two sides agreed in principle to a third party, a senior legal mind, to be asked to judge what information formed part of the confidential representations of Zuma to the NPA. 

The legal counsels had until 4pm on Friday to have an agreement delivered to the SCA. If the parties could not come to an agreement on a third party, the high court’s decision would stand. 

Judgment was reserved. – Sapa