Johannesburg - Opposition parties are calling for the corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma to be reinstated following the Supreme Court of Appeal’s (SCA) judgment confirming that the decision to drop the corruption charges against Zuma was irrational.
Zuma and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had approached the SCA to appeal a judgment handed down by the Gauteng High Court which found that former NPA head Mokotedi Mpshe took an irrational decision when he decided to let Zuma of the hook for the 783 counts on 18 charges of corruption.
The SCA confirmed that the High Court ruling was correct. The ball is now in the NPA’s court to decide whether it goes ahead and charges Zuma.
The DA, which took the matter to the courts, welcomed the SCA ruling on Friday and called for the NPA to reinstate the charges against Zuma.
Mmusi Maimane, DA leader, said the ruling was a win for justice and said the party would write to the NPA appealing that the charges be reinstated.
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“I will be writing to the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv Shaun Abrahams, insisting that Jacob Zuma is served with an indictment and appears in court at the soonest available date. Adv Abrahams must commit to reinstating all 783 charges, and furnish the people of South Africa with a date by which these charges will be processed. Adv Abrahams must give us a response within 10 days. The charges have been formulated and the evidence is ready. We now await a trial date,” said Maimane.
The party said it expects that Zuma will probably want to make fresh representations to the NPA about why he wants the charges against him to be dropped.
“This is unnecessary, as he made written and oral representations on why exactly the same charges ought to be dropped back in 2009, and these representations were rejected. We will not stand for Jacob Zuma,” said Maimane.
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) also appealed for Zuma to face the full might of the law and have his day in court.
“President Zuma just must man-up and face the music,” said party leader Bantu Holomisa.
Holomisa also called for Parliament to appoint three retired judges who will comb through the charges against Zuma, because the NPA had lost its credibility to deal with the matter.
The EFF says the only way the NPA can restore its integrity is by charging Zuma.
The party also reiterated its calls for Zuma to step down as President because of his failure to uphold the rule of law.
"Zuma's continued occupation of the office undermines the ability to uphold the rule of law. Not only has broken the constitution, he has done everything in his power to avoid facing corruption charges," said the EFF.
"He is the greatest living threat to democracy and respect for the rule of law. He must step down and face the full might of the law."