Jacob Zuma’s lawyers will on Monday lodge an application for leave to appeal the Durban High Court’s decision allowing prosecutors to ask authorities in Mauritius to release documents about meetings believed to relate to arms-deal corruption.
Zuma’s attorney Michael Hulley said on Friday that the appeal will be lodged on Monday and not on Friday as reported in the media.
Judge Phillip Levensohn handed down his decision allowing prosecutors to travel to Mauritius on April 2. The decision to appeal was taken shortly afterwards.
Speaking on the same day, Hulley said he “had an opportunity to brief” Zuma about Levensohn’s decision and the African National Congress deputy president was “disappointed”.
He said it “would be improper and premature” to indicate which points of Levensohn’s ruling would be contested in an appeal.
Should Levensohn reject the appeal, Zuma could petition the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.
The documents the state seeks from Mauritius include the 2000 diary of Alain Thetard, the former chief executive of Thales International’s South African subsidiary Thint, which reportedly details a meeting in March 2000 between him, Zuma and fraud convicted Schabir Shaik.
The National Prosecuting Authority alleges that an agreement on a R500Â 000-a-year bribe for Zuma was reached at this meeting.
Zuma’s minders
Meanwhile, the “unacceptable” behaviour of Zuma’s minders has prompted the Democratic Alliance (DA) to question Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula on the issue.
The DA is concerned at the alleged behaviour of VIP security personnel attached to a convoy in an incident reported this week by motorists in Durban, spokesperson Dianne Kohler-Barnard said in a statement on Friday.
“Repeated reports of ‘banana-republic-style’ arrogance on the part of blue-light-flashing convoys carrying people who believe themselves to be VIPs are threatening the safety of ordinary citizens. This kind of behaviour on the part of senior political representatives is unacceptable in an open, democratic society,” she said.
Motorists had reported that a convoy travelling on the N3 between Pietermaritzburg and Durban over the Easter weekend threatened members of the public. The convoy was reportedly seen pulling into the Engen One Stop on the N3, where guards from the convoy shoved patrons aside, including a little girl.
Faizel Mooideen reported that a rifle was pointed at his wife and children by a member of the convoy as they were driving on the freeway.
Mooideen said he tried to open a case at the Alexandra Road police station, but was dissuaded by a detective who informed him that he would be victimised if he laid a charge against the VIP protection unit. “Witnesses at the scene report that the convoy was for Jacob Zuma.”
The DA will ask Nqakula about the alleged conduct of the convoy members, and for confirmation that the security personnel belonged to the VIP protection unit, whether a code of conduct exists for these members and whether disciplinary action will be taken against them. It will also ask the minister for information about who is paying for the convoy and on what grounds, Kohler-Barnard said.