The corruption trial of former South African president Jacob Zuma, due to begin today, has been postponed to 9 September after Zuma, who is serving 15 months in prison for contempt of court, was admitted to hospital last week.
79-year-old Zuma was admitted to hospital for observation on Friday for an undisclosed condition, which prompted Tuesday's hearing to be held virtually rather than in open court.
"The matter is postponed to 9th and 10th of September, 2021," Judge Piet Koen declared, pending a medical report on Zuma.
Both the prosecution and the defence had asked for the planned hearing to be postponed due to Zuma's hospitalisation, as confirmed by his foundation.
The NPA on behalf of all the parties sent a joint letter to Hon Judge Koen reflecting the parties agreement to postpone the hearing at the Pmb High Court due to the ongoing hospitalisation of Pre Zuma.
— JGZuma Foundation (Official) (@JGZ_Foundation) August 9, 2021
On the 10th Aug at 10h00 the matter will be heared virtually for postponement
The former president's supporters, who are organised around the social media hashtag #freejacobzuma, had planned to come out in droves to support him outside Pietermaritzburg High Court. They said they would continue to push for his release.
The "postponement does not postpone, or impact on, other peaceful and lawful protest activities that may be planned by various organisations and groupings in support of the immediate release of President Zuma, at different times and locations throughout the country," the support group said in a statement.
'Stalingrad: Season 27'
The case, which has suffered a series of holdups, is referred to in the South African media as the 'arms deal' corruption trial.
Zuma allegedly received bribes of more than 1.7 billion euros in the 1990s.
He has already pleaded not guilty to these charges, as well as fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.
Zuma has claimed that he is a victim of a witch hunt, while the government asserts it is trying to wipe out corruption.
Tuesday's hearing was to involve a plea by the defence to remove a state prosecutor and thus have the charges against Zuma dropped.
Wim Trengove, a lawyer representing the state, last month referred to the postponements as "Stalingrad: Season 27," apparently referring to an entrenched strategy of delay by the defence.
More than 300 deaths
The former president was especially popular with poor South Africans, and those who claim he is innocent came out on the streets for three days last July after he was jailed for contempt of court. Considered the three bloodiest days in South African history, at least 342 people died during civil unrest.
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The Maverick, a local South African newspaper, conducted an investigation into the deaths, noting that while a number died from bullets, many died during and after looting.
But the authorities, it says, have not been forthcoming with information.
"Authorities have been extremely tight-lipped about how, exactly, more than 300 South Africans died – while providing quite a high level of detail on the infrastructure damaged," it wrote.
