Live stream: Watch the Zuma trial here – but it *might* be over in a flash…

Jacob Zuma’s road to the dock has been a long and convoluted one, and yet, it seems like there’ll be another diversion coming our way on Monday. You can watch the live stream of the event here, but when will the Zuma trial get underway?

What time does the Jacob Zuma trial start?

We’re on course for a 9:00 start. Already, police officials have cleared the precinct at the Pietermaritzburg High Court, in anticipation of public demonstrations in favour of the former president. Law Expert Mannie Witz is convinced that the Zuma trial will face another delay on Monday, given that uBaba is coming into this hearing with no legal representation

“A case like this is going to be very long-winded. We can’t really say it is a tactic. At this particular stage and the judge’s position is that when you are dealing with the serious charge that former president Jacob Zuma is facing, as well as that there are minimum sentences involved for a conviction on any of the charges.”

“I think that in any probability notwithstanding the number of postponement that has been granted the judge will have to think very carefully in terms of the Constitution whether or not to ensure that he has legal representation. In this case, it’d be much better for him to have legal representation. The judge would allow him some time to seek legal representation.”

Watch: Live stream of the Zuma trial here

Why Msholozi is in court

Zuma faces 16 charges of fraud, corruption, racketeering, and money laundering related to the controversial multi-billion rand arms deal in the late 1990s. The former president is alleged to have received 783 suspicious payments to the tune of R1.2 million from French arms manufacturer Thales, through his disgraced former financial advisor Shabir Shaik.

The payments are alleged to be bribes, in exchange for protecting Thales from an investigation into how it scored the contract Zuma has denied the allegations and claims they are politically motivated.