In a critical judicial ruling on Tuesday, 3 June 2025, South Africa’s embattled former President Jacob Zuma suffered a significant legal blow as the Pietermaritzburg High Court rejected his application to dismiss longstanding corruption charges.
Zuma, along with French defence firm Thales, had petitioned the court to strike down charges stemming from a controversial arms procurement deal signed in 1999, worth billions of South African rand. The joint application argued that the deaths of two key witnesses undermined the fairness of the impending trial.
Presiding Judge Nkosinathi Chili, however, rebuffed the claim, asserting that the High Court lacked the jurisdiction to unilaterally terminate the charges. More pointedly, the judge ruled that the absence of certain witnesses did not equate to an infringement of Zuma’s constitutional right to a fair trial. “There is no justification for the court to grant the order sought by Mr Zuma,” the judge stated, rejecting both Zuma and Thales’ applications in a televised ruling watched closely across the nation.
The decision effectively clears the path for Zuma — now head of the recently formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) political party — to face trial in a saga that has haunted South Africa’s democratic institutions for over two decades. The charges, which include corruption, money laundering, and racketeering, mark one of the most enduring and high-profile legal battles in the country’s post-apartheid era. As the trial edges closer, observers note that the outcome will test the strength and impartiality of South Africa’s judiciary, especially in holding influential political figures to account.