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Zuma's Prosecution of Privacy Violators Reportedly Adjourned Until November

CC BY 4.0 / en.kremlin.ru / Former South African President Jacob Zuma
Former South African President Jacob Zuma - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 05.08.2023
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In October 2022, the former African leader launched a private prosecution against Billy Downer, the state's lawyer, and Karyn Maughan, a journalist from the South African media News24, for publicly disclosing information about the urgent surgery that the former president had to undergo.
Ex-South African President Jacob Zuma’s case against Downer and Maughan has been postponed to November 1 by the Pietermaritzburg High Court, local media reported.
In June, the court declared the prosecution illegal after the defendants filed their claims against it. This was followed by Zuma's notification of his intention to appeal the decision. However, on Thursday, the court issued a special order making the ruling immediately enforceable. The ex-leader is now appealing that too, according to the media.
In addition, the Department of Correctional Services said a decision on whether Zuma will return to prison will be announced by August 10.
Last month, the Constitutional Court recognized as legitimate Zuma's medical parole, dismissing the Supreme Court of Appeal's bid to overturn it. However, the decision on whether to count the time that the former president spent on parole for medical reasons into his sentence is yet to be made by acting Department of Correctional Services Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale.

"Correctional Services is able to confirm that it has received representations from relevant parties on the incarceration term for Zuma. The next phase is for Thobakgale to consider every material received, the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal and prescripts within the space of Corrections. Thobakgale is to make his decision on or before 10 August," the department's spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo noted.

Former South African President Jacob Zuma arrives at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on April 17, 2023. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 17.04.2023
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In the summer of 2021, the former president was sentenced to 15 months in prison by the Constitutional Court for contempt of court. Zuma began serving his sentence on July 8, 2021. However, on August 6 that year, his detention was interrupted for medical treatment at one of the hospitals of the Ministry of Defense, where he underwent surgery on August 15.
In July this year, the former leader of South Africa stayed in Russia for medical treatment, after which he returned to his homeland on August 2 because of the private prosecution.
Since 2005, the ex-president has had to contend with a number of court cases on corruption that have been subject to periodic dismissals and retrials. In February 2018, he was forced to abandon the post under threat of further corruption allegations.
Zuma led the country for two terms from 2009 to 2018 as the fourth post-apartheid head of South Africa.
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