Arms deal: Zuma’s doctors MISS deadline to submit medical report

It’s now up to the High Court in Pietermaritzburg to determine a way forward after former president Jacob Zuma’s medical team missed the deadline to submit a report on his fitness to stand trial.

The court had given Zuma’s military doctors until Friday, 20 August 2020, to make submissions but his legal team failed to hand over the medical report, as required by the same court.

The former president underwent several medical procedures last week and is still receiving care at hospital. He was admitted for an undisclosed medical condition.

Zuma is currently serving his 15-month prison sentence at the Estcourt Correctional Centre in Kwazulu-Natal (KZN).

Jacob Zuma Foundation on missed deadline

The Jacob Zuma Foundation’s spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi says they hope all of the former president’s affairs will be in order in time for his next court appearance in September.

“As things are now, due to all other delays in the medical fraternity there that deadline (20 August 2021) was missed and I think there are processes in place to manage that situation. So we remain hopeful that by the time 9 September comes, everything will be in order”

The Jacob Zuma Foundation’s spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi

Manyi added that they remain concerned about the NPA’s decision to appoint a doctor to come and supervise the military healthcare workers as they administer care to the former president.

Zuma’s hospital admission posed a delay to his arms deal trial as another date had to be set for resumption. The NPA has lawyered up and is challenging the former president’s bid to have the prosecutor in the case, Billy Downer recuse himself.

The High Court ruled that a state doctor could be roped in to examine Zuma’s health condition and determine whether or not he is fit to stand trial.

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.