Former president Jacob Zuma’s long-running arms deal case is set to move forward after the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg ruled that the trial must proceed without further delays.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday, 14 May 2026.
The National Prosecuting Authority secured a key win after asking the court to stop Zuma and French arms company Thales from delaying the case through further legal challenges.
The state argued that the accused had used a “Stalingrad” strategy to stall the trial. Judge Nkosinathi Chili agreed that the pattern of delays could not be allowed to continue unchecked.
Judge Says Justice is at Risk
During proceedings, Chili found that Zuma had used interlocutory applications in an attempt to delay the start of the trial.
The judge said courts had already made factual findings that Zuma was using delay tactics to stop the trial from beginning. He warned that failing to intervene could bring the administration of justice into disrepute.
Chili said the court had to consider not only the interests of Zuma and Thales, but also the interests of society.
He added that the court had a duty to help ensure the criminal trial starts and is managed without unnecessary delays.
Trial Date Agreed
The case relates to charges of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering linked to the 1999 arms deal.
Zuma and Thales had previously challenged a June 2025 ruling that refused their bid to have the charges dropped. Chili dismissed the appeal in February 2026, while the state’s counter-application was dealt with later.
After Thursday’s adjournment, prosecutor Billy Downer told the court that the state and defence had agreed on 1 February 2027 as the trial start date.
Downer said both sides were available for two court terms, though he could not predict how long the trial would run.
Downer Dispute Also Raised
The case has also been marked by Zuma’s repeated attempts to have Downer removed from the matter over alleged bias.
Zuma also pursued a private prosecution against Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan over court documents, including a medical note. Several courts criticised that move as an abuse of process, and the case was eventually removed from the roll
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