President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the decision handed down by the South Gauteng High Court Division to interdict the private prosecution brought against him by former President Jacob Zuma.
The former President has instituted a private prosecution against President Ramaphosa and alleges that the president is an “accessory after the fact” in the case against prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan.
The interdict means that the President will not have to appear in court on Thursday in the Downer and Maughan matter.
However, the court is yet to decide whether former President Zuma’s private prosecution is lawful.
Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the interdict is an affirmation of President Ramaphosa’s contentions with the private prosecution.
“The court affirmed all of the President’s key contentions, namely on jurisdiction of the court to hear the interdict application, the urgency of the matter against a court appearance date based on a prima facie unlawful nolle prosequi. The court further found in the President’s favour on the violation of rights to personal freedom based on a prima facie defective summons.
“The judgement confirms the positon of the President that the private prosecution is motivated by the ulterior purpose based on spurious and unfounded charges, constitutes an abuse of private prosecution provisions and demonstrates flagrant disregard for the law,” Magwenya said.