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President Cyril Ramaphosa says he rejects former president Jacob Zuma’s abuse of legal processes and perversion of the private prosecution provision.
This, after the Jacob Zuma Foundation, released a statement on Thursday evening that stated that Ramahosa had been charged in a private prosecution for a criminal offense - being an accessory in crimes committed by among others, state prosecutor Adv Billy Downer, and for breaching the provisions of the NPA Act.
Zuma accuses Ramaphosa of helping Downer to violate parts of the Act.
This is related to the publication of details about Zuma's medical condition.
Spokesperson in the Presidency, Vincent Magwenya says in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Act, a private prosecution can only be instituted after the individual that is prosecuting has obtained a certificate of non-prosecution.
"Mr. Zuma has not provided such a certificate with charges in the name of President Ramaphosa. The summons served to the President is hopelessly sub-standard and demonstrates the absolute disregard of the law", he said.
Magwenya says Ramaphosa promptly responded to Zuma’s letter indicating steps he had taken, including referring the matter to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronal Lamola who bears the oversight responsibility over the NPA.
Spokesperson for the Jacob Zuma Foundation, Mzwanele Manyi says the private prosecution has been instituted in the Johannesburg High Court where Ramaphosa will make his first appearance on 19 January 2023.
