Battle of the presidents under way in Joburg High Court
Proceedings
in the high-profile legal battle between former President Jacob Zuma and his
successor Cyril Ramaphosa got underway in the High Court in Johannesburg on
Thursday morning.
President Ramaphosa's lawyers were first to present his case before the high court.
Ramaphosa's approached the court for an urgent interdict against his predecessor private prosecution bid.
Zuma is accusing the president of several crimes, including being an accessory after the fact in relation to his leaked medical records.
He has also launched a bid to privately prosecute state advocate Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan in the matter.
He is accusing his successor of being “an accessory after the fact”.
Ramaphosa's legal representative Advocate Hamilton Maenetje has been given an hour to present his case.
READ: Full bench to hear Ramaphosa interdict application against Zuma
Earlier, Gauteng Deputy Judge President Roland Sutherland set the agenda for the day, saying that part A will deal with Ramaphosa's application that seeks to interdict Zuma.
"There is a great deal to be dealt with in this controversy and to that end we are the view that issues with such a nature, that we can do justice to this matter, if we give to the applicant 60 minutes to present its case, to the first respondent, 90 minutes to NPA an opportunity to say hello and to the applicant 20 minutes to reply if one is needed."
