By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has ordered Jacob Zuma to pay back the R28.9 million in taxpayer funds spent on his corruption trial.
Zuma who served as the president from 2009 to 2018, has been embroiled in various litigations, primarily revolving around corruption charges and allegations of using public funds to evade accountability.
While Zuma’s legal fees were initially covered by the State coffers, previous rulings — from the Gauteng High Court in December 2018 and the Supreme Court of Appeal in April 2021 — made it plain that the taxpayer money used for his private representation had to be reimbursed.
Judge Anthony Millar upheld the SCA ruling and ordered Zuma to repay the legal fees.
In his ruling Judge Millar ordered Zuma to make this payment to the State Attorney – R28,960,774,34 – as well as pay interest as calculated at the prescribed rate.
Court documents show that interest on about 18.9 million rand is due from January 25, 2024, until the date of payment.
In the event that Zuma fails to satisfy the judgement within 60 days of the date of the court’s order, the State Attorney is directed to have a writ of execution issued by the Registrar of this Court for the attachment and sale of his immovable and/or movable properties to satisfy the judgment debt.
This includes his presidential pension benefit, or portion thereof, if required and subject to an order of court authorising that such attachment order can be issued.
Judge Millar also ordered that the State Attorney must report on affidavit, to the court within three months of the date of the order, and thereafter every three months until Zuma’s debt is paid.
Zuma was further slapped with a costs order.
Hours after the court order was announced, the MK Party said in a statement that Zuma will “address the nation “on Thursday, without providing further details.