DA takes spy tapes matter back to court

The DA has brought an application to review the 2009 decision by the National Director of Public Prosecutions to drop nearly 800 charges of fraud, corruption and racketeering against President Jacob Zuma in connection with the arms deal.

Sean Rosenberg for the DA has told the North Gauteng High Court that Zuma's prosecution became inevitable following his former financial advisor Schabir Shaik's conviction. 

"On June 14 2006, following those findings, the then president of the country Thabo Mbeki dismissed President Zuma based on the findings of the KwaZulu-Natal court that the relationship between President Zuma and Mr Shaik was unsavoury. 

"On June 20 2005, the decision of the then National Director of the National Prosecuting Authority Mr [Vusi] Pikoli to charge President Zuma was announced and amongst the reasons for this fresh decision was the emergence of significant and weighty evidence which had emerged during the Shaik trial," he said.

(File photo: Getty Images)