The Constitutional Court rejected the electronic filing of Jacob Zuma’s latest court appeal and is still waiting for a hard copy version, a court official said on Tuesday.
The African National Congress (ANC) president’s Durban-based attorney missed the 3.30pm deadline for filing the papers in Johannesburg on Monday, but subsequently sent copies by electronic mail.
”We only received papers by e-mail, but e-mail doesn’t count. We want hard copies. So the application is not before the judges,” the official explained.
Late filing can be remedied by an application for the judges to condone this.
The Constitutional Court application, if successful, would give Zuma a chance to appeal the recent Supreme Court of Appeal judgement that had the effect of allowing the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to continue pursuing its corruption case against him.
Zuma’s lawyers and the NPA would be back in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Wednesday as the NPA revived its court action against him.
Thousands of ANC members intended descending on Pietermaritzburg to show support for Zuma, ANC provincial secretary Senzo Mchunu said on Monday.
He said more than 15 000 people were expected to gather outside the court building.
Zuma faces charges of corruption, fraud, money-laundering and racketeering.
A vigil would be held on Tuesday night, with leaders of the ANC and its alliance partners scheduled to speak.
”We expect that Pietermaritzburg will come to a standstill as more people will descend to begin the celebrations as their dream of voting for Zuma as their next president is about to be fulfilled,” said Mchunu.
He said they would use the appearance to hold a mass rally for the ANC to sells its manifesto to the people.
”We have been provided with a perfect opportunity and platform to campaign and we use it as such. We have organised 500 marshals to control the crowds and security and logistical arrangements have been made with the police and metro police officers.”
The KwaZulu-Natal police said maintaining security would be a priority.
”Strict measures have been put into place to ensure that the general public, the business community and the supporters are protected prior, during and after the court case,” said Senior Superintendent Henry Budhram.
He said some roads around the High Court would be closed. This would be assessed during the day.
”The police will endeavour to ensure that normal activities proceed unhindered outside the immediate vicinity of the Pietermaritzburg High Court.”
The criminal charges against Zuma were reinstated after the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in favour of an appeal by the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP).
The NDPP challenged a ruling last year by Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Chris Nicholson, which held that the charges against Zuma were invalid. — Sapa