This week will see the climax of Jacob Zuma and the Thint group’s bid to have the graft case against them thrown out. Both claim their right to a fair trial has been irreparably compromised.
Thint’s case — based on an agreement between it and then prosecutions chief Bulelani Ngcuka in April 2004 — is probably stronger.
The agreement arose out of a meeting between Thint’s lawyers, Ngcuka and then justice minister Penuell Maduna, when Thint was an accused under an indictment served on Schabir Shaik. In papers filed this week, Thint argues that it provided for the withdrawal of charges in exchange for an affidavit by former Thint MD Alain ThÃ