Former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma’s attempted private prosecution of current President Cyril Ramaphosa has been dismissed by the Johannesburg high court.
- Zuma claimed Ramaphosa was an accessory to the alleged leaking of confidential medical information and sought to privately prosecute him.
- The court found that Zuma’s case was “unlawful” and “an abuse of process” and instituted “for an ulterior motive”.
- Zuma had laid charges against prosecutor Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan in a similar manner, using the same certificates, which were also dismissed.
- The court ruled that the certificates Zuma relied on do not apply to Ramaphosa, and the private prosecution was an “abuse of court process” brought for an ulterior purpose.
- The court also ordered Zuma to pay costs. The ruling is seen as an example of the courts holding firm in the face of political disputes.