Former South African President Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial was delayed once again on Monday, hours after it began, reported Reuters.
Zuma himself did not attend the opening at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Monday as he fell ill shortly before the session was due to start, his lawyer Dali Mpofu told the court.
Judge Piet Koen ruled the trial has been postponed until May 17 to allow for consideration of a petition by Zuma. His spokesman later said that the former South African president had been admitted to hospital for medical tests.
His legal representatives requested that the trial should be postponed until the Supreme Court of Appeal decides on Zuma’s effort to have state prosecutor Billy Downer removed from the case.
Zuma accuses Downer of bias against him. He continues to plead not guilty to charges of corruption, money laundering and racketeering over a $2bn arms deal in the 1990s.
The South African National Prosecuting Authority opposed the trial postponement application, accusing Zuma of delaying tactics to prevent the beginning of the trial.
Delivering his judgement on Monday, High Court Judge Piet Koen said the current delay was unavoidable as the court had to await the Supreme Court of Appeal’s decision.
The 79-year-old Zuma is currently on medical parole from a 15-month prison sentence following his conviction last year of contempt of court for defying a Constitutional Court order to appear before a judicial commission investigating corruption during his presidential term from 2009 to 2018.
The former South African president was imprisoned in July of last year, which resulted in riots in the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces. More than 300 people lost their lives in the unrest.
About three months later Zuma was released on medical parole, for an undisclosed health condition. A subsequent court judgement ruled the medical parole was invalid, but his lawyers are appealing that judgement.
