Jacob Zuma to Be Examined by State Medical Doctor After Trial Postponement
- The High Court in Pietermaritzburg has made the decision for former president Jacob Zuma to be assessed by a State-appointed medical practitioner
- The former president is reportedly being treated for a medical condition in a military hospital while he serves his 15-month prison sentence
- Briefly News understands that Zuma’s doctors will finalise a record on his health within the next 14 days, which will determine the progress of his case in the High Court
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The High Court in Pietermaritzburg has issued an order to allow the State permission to appoint a medical expert to run examinations on former President Jacob Zuma.
Zuma is reportedly being treated for a medical condition in a military hospital while he serves his 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court at Estcourt Correctional Centre.
Source: Getty Images
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Earlier, Zuma’s fraud and corruption trial was postponed to 9 and 10 September with the presiding officer, Judge Piet Koen, granting an application by the State to have its own medical expert conduct an examination.
Zuma's medical condition comes into focus
According to SABC News, Wim Trengrove, who is the State Prosecutor Advocate, told the court that the letter presented to the court by Zuma’s doctor does little to give perspective into the embattled ex-president's current medical condition.
Trengrove added, however, that it notes emergency procedures that have been delayed for 18 months. He was quoted as saying:
“We are at the moment completely in the dark to the justification for the postponement for Zuma’s condition.
"The doctor’s letter does not [at all] identify the medical conditions which he suffers or says quite perplexingly there has been an emergency procedure that has been delayed for 18 months.
"We have found it very hard to understand how that’s transformed to his inability to stand trial. We also request that you, my lord, allow the State to appoint a medical practitioner to examine Mr Zuma."
Former president's medical team to finalise health record
Briefly News understands that Zuma’s doctors will finalise a record on his health within the next 14 days, which will determine the progress of his case in the High Court.
A news report by TimesLive stated that Koen gave Zuma's team until 20 August to file the medical report. Both Zuma's doctors and the state's experts could be called to testify if there is a dispute.
Among the long list of allegations is that the former president received an annual kickback amounting to half a million rand paid through his former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik.
It has been established that this was in exchange for shielding Thales from an investigation into the controversial arms deal.
Duduzane Zuma does not believe his father Jacob's arms deal trial will be fair
In recent hot news, Briefly News reported that the former president's son, Duduzane has shared some concerns about his father's arms deal corruption trial set to be heard by the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
According to EWN, Duduzane is of the opinion that his father will not receive a fair trial and in fact, he has little faith in the legal system because of its previous treatment of Zuma.
"I don’t have my hopes high when it comes to legal matters. The decisions will be made by the people who make those decisions,” said Duduzane.
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Source: Briefly News
