The corruption trial of former South African President Jacob Zuma was postponed again on Monday as he continues efforts to have the lead prosecutor removed, alleging bias.
Zuma has already succeeded in securing a new judge for the case. His legal team argues that prosecutor Billy Downer is biased and therefore undermines Zuma’s right to a fair trial. Zuma is also pursuing a separate legal action against Downer and a journalist over the alleged leaking of his medical records by state prosecutors.
Zuma faces multiple charges, including corruption, racketeering, fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering. Some of the allegations relate to bribes he is accused of receiving from French arms company Thales (formerly Thomson-CSF) in connection with a $1 billion-plus arms deal signed by the South African government in 1999.
Thales is also a co-defendant in the case.
The charges stem from Zuma’s time as a rising politician and later deputy president, before he assumed the presidency in 2009. He was forced to resign in 2018 amid separate corruption allegations.
Although the trial formally began in May 2021, no witness testimony has yet been heard due to repeated legal challenges from Zuma, including attempts to remove both the original judge and the prosecutor.
The newly appointed judge, Nkosinathi Chili, has set proceedings to resume on August 15 and 16, when both sides will argue whether Downer should remain on the case.
Zuma, who pleaded not guilty, faces a potential minimum sentence of 15 years if convicted.
His separate conviction for contempt of court in 2021, which led to a 15-month prison sentence, triggered deadly unrest and widespread looting that killed more than 300 people, the worst civil unrest since the end of apartheid in 1994.
