President Jacob Zuma is to apply for leave to appeal against the latest court judgment ordering him to hand over a secret report on Zimbabwe’s 2002 election to the Mail & Guardian.
This means that the M&G still cannot lay its hands on the report, despite the fact that two courts have ordered the presidency to surrender it.
The Supreme Court of Appeal ruled last week that the report on the constitutional and legal environment of the controversial 2002 presidential poll, widely regarded as having been rigged in favour of Robert Mugabe, must be made available to the M&G.
The ruling ordered the handover to take place by the end of Friday December 24. But the state attorney told the M&G‘s attorneys, Webber Wentzel, on Tuesday that the presidency will apply for leave to appeal to the Constitutional Court.
”We’re extremely disappointed with Zuma’s decision to keep on fighting this matter,” said M&G editor-in-chief Nic Dawes. ”He has lost twice, and costs have twice been awarded to the M&G. That on its own should be a signal of the weakness of his case. The appeal will further delay the release of information that we believe the public has a right
to access.”
