Zuma to Contest Court Decision Requiring Start of Arms Deal Corruption Trial
Pietermaritzburg – The JG Zuma Foundation has revealed that former president Jacob Zuma plans to appeal the decision made by Judge Nkosinathi Chili, which orders that his corruption trial is set to begin on 1 February 2027, despite ongoing appeals.
On Thursday, 14 May 2026, Judge Chili issued his ruling in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, stressing that the trial should move forward without unnecessary holdups.
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The protracted corruption case against Zuma and the French arms firm Thales traces back to the controversial 1999 Arms Deal.
Zuma faces multiple allegations, including corruption, racketeering, money laundering, and several counts of fraud.
In light of the ruling, the JG Zuma Foundation issued a statement confirming that President Zuma has directed his legal team to file for leave to appeal Judge Chili’s decision announced earlier today.
The statement further asserted: “The ruling is fundamentally flawed and contains significant and glaring errors in both fact and law.
“We are confident that there is a strong likelihood of having the ruling overturned by a higher court.”
The JG Zuma Foundation maintained that it is unacceptable for a single judge to arbitrarily modify or reinterpret the Constitution of South Africa, which ensures various substantive and procedural rights for all accused individuals.
“There must be one uniform standard of law for all accused persons, not a different standard for Zuma.
“It is imperative to stop the concerning trend referred to as ‘Zuma Law’.”
“Presently, there are two appeals awaiting resolution before the Supreme Court: one regarding the recusal of the current prosecutor and the other about Thales’s request for acquittal due to the deaths of key witnesses.”
The JG Zuma Foundation raised concerns about how a trial could begin while these matters remain unsettled.
“For instance, which prosecutor will take charge of this case?” the JG Zuma Foundation questioned.
“Can the High Court pre-empt decisions from the SCA or the Constitutional Court?
“These are critical and unprecedented questions raised by the erroneous and concerning ruling of Honourable Judge Chili.”