Former president Jacob Zuma and his co-accussed, Thales, will now face the arms deal trial despite outstand appeal applications.
The Pietermaritzburg High Court was justified to order the trial in the two-decade-long arms deal criminal case against former president Jacob Zuma and Thales to continue without being delayed further by interlocutory applications.
This is the view of legal expert Bongani Zaca who stated the delay in the criminal matter is a travesty of justice.
Judge Nkosinathi Chili on Thursday made an order that the longest case in South African history should commence with the trial, regardless of Zuma and Thales' pending application, regarding their call for the case to be quashed.
The charges against Zuma were first enrolled in 2005 were withdrawn and reinstated in 2018 with Thales becoming the co-accused and is still going without the start of the trial, which makes it one of the longest criminal matters in South Africa.
