'Punitive cost order has placed Jacob Zuma firmly in a financial corner'

14 October 2019 11:55 AM

The Pietermaritzburg High Court has dismissed the applications for permanent stay of prosecution in the corruption case faced by former South African president Jacob Zuma and arms manufacturer Thales, with costs.

The former president is expected to be tried on 18 charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering on Tuesday.

The charges date back to 2005 when the former president received 783 payments totalling over R4m from his then-financial adviser Schabir Shaik.

Eusebius McKaiser chats to Tiso Blackstar specialist reporter Karyn Maughan to give more insight on the case.

Jacob Zuma, as a consequence of those judgments that were accumulated in the path to where we find ourselves now, this judgment was essentially constructed out of all the rulings that were previously given against him.
— Karyn Maughan, Specialist reporter - Tiso Blackstar

The court also found that Zuma is liable for cost orders of the case.

As a consequence of another ruling given against him, he no longer has access to state funding of his legal fees, he has to reimburse R60m on this case. The consequence of a punitive cost order, he is painted into a firm corner financially, I honestly don't know what he is going to do.
— Karyn Maughan, Specialist reporter - Tiso Blackstar

She says even if Zuma wanted to appeal this decision, she is not sure that he has the money to do so.

Listen below to the full conversation on Jacob Zuma's legal woes:

Written by: Matshepo Sehloho