Zuma meeting lawyers in hospital to discuss 'a range of issues', says Manyi

07 September 2021 - 18:10
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Former president Jacob Zuma was on Tuesday meeting his legal team to discuss various issues. File photo.
Former president Jacob Zuma was on Tuesday meeting his legal team to discuss various issues. File photo.
Image: Lulama Zenzile

Former president Jacob Zuma is meeting his legal team in hospital to discuss a range of issues, the JG Zuma Foundation said on Tuesday.

“This is just to confirm that President Zuma is still in hospital but he is going to be engaging with his lawyers on a whole range of issues,” said foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi.

Manyi said the foundation hopes to update the nation after the meeting.

The meeting comes days after Zuma was placed on medical parole, 58 days after he was admitted as an inmate at the Estcourt Correctional Services facility in KwaZulu-Natal where he was serving his 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court.

Earlier, TimesLIVE reported that Zuma’s special plea hearing seeking to remove prosecutor Billy Downer from his arms deal corruption trial will be postponed to later this month for the state to consider his medical evidence.

“We confirm that the special plea hearing relating to Mr Zuma's case will be postponed virtually by consent of all the parties to September 20 and 21, to enable the state-appointed medical team of specialists to consider the medical evidence in co-operation with Mr Zuma’s medical team,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga.

He said the state would give no further details on the matter as Zuma’s medical records were confidential.

In the criminal case, he is facing 16 counts of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering and his co-accused, the French arms company Thales, is facing four counts.

Among the allegations is that the former president received an annual kickback of R500,000 paid through his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik in exchange for shielding Thales from an investigation into the controversial arms deal.

TimesLIVE


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now