/ 9 February 2009

Zuma’s lawyers to make representations to NPA

African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma’s lawyers were expected to make representations to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on his criminal case on Monday, NPA spokesperson Tlali Tlali said.

Zuma’s lawyers were supposed to have done so on January 26 but were unable to make that deadline.

The NPA then said they could do so at a later date since this procedure was not bound by court rules.

The right to make representations to the NPA on the corruption charges he faces alongside arms company Thint, has formed part of Zuma’s legal strategy.

The representations are usually in letter form, and are then considered by the authority.

Zuma ultimately intends filing an application for a permanent stay of prosecution.

The Pietermaritzburg High Court has provisionally set Zuma’s trial for August 25.

Senior counsel for arms company Thint, Michael Collins, said the company would return to Pietermaritzburg High Court on June 24 for its own permanent stay of prosecution application.

Last month the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) overturned a ruling made last year by Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Chris Nicholson, which held that the charges against the ANC president were invalid.

The SCA in January delivered a scathing judgement against Nicholson, describing his finding of political meddling as ”erroneous”, ”unwarranted” and ”incomprehensible”.

The January ruling allowed the NPA to continue pursuing its corruption case against Zuma. — Sapa