Jacob Zuma “The Private Prosecutor” Expected to Be on Duty for Billy Downer and Karyn Maughan’s Appearance

• Former president Jacob Zuma is expected to head to the Pietermaritzburg High Court for his private prosecution matter
• Msholozi dragged Advocate Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan to court for allegedly leaking his medical records
• The JZ Foundation said that the former president will be “on duty” to witness the case, leaving many citizens divided online

KWAZULU-NATAL - Former president Jacob Zuma is expected to be “on duty” at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Thursday, 2 February.

Advocate Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan are expected to make their second court appearance in the private prosecution matter launched by Msholozi. Zuma charged the pair for contravening the National Prosecuting Authority Act.

Taking to Twitter, the Jacob Zuma Foundation shared that the presiding judge in the matter will be wearing red robes as it is a criminal case. The former president has accused Downer and Maughan of leaking his medical report.

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The accused, however, claimed that the report was submitted to the court by Zuma’s lawyers during the arms deal trial in which Downer is the lead prosecutor. Downer and Maughan launched an application to have the charges squashed.

According to TimesLIVE, the application has been set to be heard in March. However, due to this, the case against Downer and Maughan may be adjourned to another date.

South Africans have expressed mixed reactions over the JZ Foundation’s tweet, with many offering their support to Zuma and others mocking the case.

Mzansi reacts to Jacob Zuma’s private prosecution case

@rikhotsomoses said:

“Former presidents are going around the world giving lectures and guest appearances nina you're day in and day out excited about the colour of the robes the judge is wearing. Shameless!”

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@Senzo407 commented:

“What is the purpose of the repeated mention of red robes? Red robes don’t decide cases, judges do, so drop this unmerited obsession with robes. Sutherland J told you. You refuse to be told that’s why JZ landed in jail unnecessarily.”

@jeandre_lennox posted:

“It almost sounds like you are celebrating the fact that he will be in court, which is odd since the ex-president has been dodging accountability for years and continues to look for any excuse not to go back to prison. We see you.”

@Isaac20968118 added:

“President Jacob Zuma is dealing with this captured and corrupted system one case at a time.”

Jacob Zuma to head back to court in 2023 after public prosecution of Downer and Maughan adjourns

Briefly News also reported that former president Jacob Zuma's private prosecution of state advocate Billy Downer and legal journalist Karyn Maughan was adjourned to 2 February 2023.

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The public prosecution case began in The KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Monday, 10 October.

The former president instituted the case against Maughan and Downer over allegations that Downer slipped the journalist a medical note submitted to the court as part of a postponement application in Zuma's corruption case.

Source: Briefly News