Court rejects Zuma’s application

The Supreme Court of Appeal has dismissed Jacob Zuma’s application to overturn a previous ruling by three judges in KwaZulu-Natal which stopped his private prosecution of advocate Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan.

This time the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has, in a scathing judgment, dismissed his application to overturn a previous ruling by three judges in KwaZulu-Natal which stopped his private prosecution of advocate Billy Downer — the lead prosecutor in Zuma’s arms deal-related trial — and journalist Karyn Maughan.

Zuma is intent on privately prosecuting Downer and Maughan for what he alleges are contraventions of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Act, in that Downer leaked a document containing what Zuma claimed was his personal medical information to the journalist.

Three KwaZulu-Natal judges set aside the summonses and interdicted Zuma from initiating further private prosecutions against Downer and Maughan on the same charges.

The judges said the private prosecution was baseless, an abuse of court and instituted with ulterior motives.

However, Zuma noted an intention to apply for leave to appeal which would have suspended the judgment, meaning the private prosecution could continue in the interim.