THE Pietermaritzburg High Court is hearing former president Jacob Zuma’s application to have the National Prosecuting Authority's advocate Billy Downer SC recuse himself.
Zuma alleges that Downer compromised himself and the case by leaking information to selected members of the media and CIA spies.
Zuma, who was recently granted medical parole, is not present in court as his lawyers argue that he is sick. The case has been postponed twice due to Zuma’s ill health.
Zuma and French company Thales are facing charges of corruption, racketeering and money laundering in connection with the 1999 arms deal.
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On Monday, Zuma’s foundation issued a statement in which the former president said he believed history would vindicate him for referring to the country as having transitioned from a constitutional democracy to a constitutional dictatorship.
Zuma said the country’s laws were repeatedly bent when it came to him.
He placed the blame on former public protector Thuli Madonsela; the state capture commission, chaired by Judge Raymond Zondo; and the Constitutional Court for saying it didn’t have to consider international law.
The foundation earlier announced that Zuma was set to take his fight over his 15-months’ imprisonment for contempt of the Constitutional Court to the African Court on Human and People’s Rights.
On Friday, the Constitutional Court dismissed Zuma’s application to rescind the court’s judgment.
“After the judgment of the Constitutional Court on 17 September 2021, I am more than certain of this than ever before,” Zuma said in reference to the “constitutional dictatorship”.