NPA “dragging feet” on Zuma corruption charges: DA

·13 May 2016

The National Prosecuting Authority has still not made any announcements on how it will proceed with the matter of corruption charges which could be re-instated against president Jacob Zuma.

The Democratic Alliance this week urged the NPA to “stop dragging its feet” on 783 charges of corruption, which the party says should be re-instated against Zuma, following a High Court ruling that they were “irrationally dismissed” in 2009.

The North Gauteng High Court on Friday (29 April) ruled that former NPA head, Mokotedi Mpshe, acted impulsively and irrationally when he decided to drop the charges of corruption laid against president Jacob Zuma in 2009.

According to the DA, today (13 May) now marks 14 days since the full bench of the North Gauteng High Court made the ruling.

“According to our own legal opinion, the charges are therefore now automatically reinstated as a result of this unanimous judgement,” the DA said.

However, the NPA has since corrected the party, saying that it has 15 court days to determine the way forward – excluding weekends and public holidays – meaning it has until 23 May to decide.

For many, it is unclear what the NPA is waiting for.

In a write-up following the ruling, legal expert Pierre de Vos said that the NPA does not have many options to it, noting that the ruling made it clear – in no uncertain terms – that “Mr Zuma should face the charges as outlined in the indictment”.

According to De Vos, standing case law in the country shows that the High Court’s ruling means an automatic re-instatement of the charges.

“The NPA does not – in the absence of an appeal – have a discretion in whether it wishes to recharge the President,” he said.