DA to oppose Zuma’s latest attempt to appeal cost judgment

The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) lawyers have been informed that former president Jacob Zuma will seek leave to appeal the North Gauteng High Court judgement which ordered him to pay back the money already incurred by his many court challenges.

We will be launching an application in terms of Section 18 of the Superior Courts Act, read with Uniform Rule 49 (11), to have the High Court judgment take immediate effect to prevent any more taxpayer money being squandered on Zuma’s frivolous legal appeals.

The DA is of the view that the High Court judgement must remain in effect irrespective of any appeals Zuma might launch.

This application for leave to appeal is clearly designed to delay and undermine the Court’s judgement and to once again have the State pay for Zuma’s legal fees.

This should and must not be allowed. While Zuma is free to seek leave to appeal any court judgement, he cannot do so using public funds.

Zuma must be stopped from evading accountability, especially since he is attempting to use state funds on endless appeals.

Jacob Zuma has been implicated in corruption and the looting of the State, and has essentially ransacked the public coffers to defend his role in the State Capture project.

South Africans are still suffering from the consequences of Zuma’s disastrous tenure in office and he is not entitled to any further financial support from the government or the people of South Africa.

It is also an indictment on the ANC government in general, on President Cyril Ramaphosa in particular, that there is no stronger stance against Zuma’s abuse of public money. It is clear that the ANC is expediently using Zuma for campaigning purposes and therefore hamstrung in taking a principled stand on protecting the South African tax payer from further looting.

Statement issued by James Selfe MP - DA Federal Council Chairperson, 2 January 2018