Publication: Sapa Issued: Pietermaritzburg Date: 2006-07-31 Reporter: Sapa Reporter:

State Wants Postponement in Zuma Hearing

 

Publication 

Sapa
BC-COURT-3RD-LD-ZUMA

Issued

Pietermaritzburg
Date 2006-07-31

Reporter

Sapa

 

Judge Herbert Msimang was not convinced the state needed one month to respond to the defence's application opposing a request for a postponement in the Jacob Zuma fraud case.

"I am not convinced you need as much as one month," he told the prosecution in the Pietermaritzburg High Court.

The state said the four lever-arch files handed up by defence teams were "voluminous" and would take time to work through. The state wanted until August 21 to go through he application.

Kemp J Kemp, Zuma's attorney, wanted the argument to take place next week, or at least by August 14.

"This would give the state two weeks to prepare their answers," he said.

The state could then file its heads of argument on August 30, followed by the defence's heads of argument on September 1.

Kessie Naidu, representing Zuma's co-accused, Thint, said he would not be as generous, and asked that argument continued Thursday *1.

"Why are you arguing with what Kemp is saying? *2 To me it appears to be eminent wisdom," Msimang told Naidu.

Assistant prosecutor Wim Trengove *3 said Kemp's suggestion of dates was "unnecessarily tight." He said there were two very substantial affidavits, each of which was about 100 pages long.

With acknowledgement to Sapa.


*1      That's our Kessie.


*2      Because that's our Kessie.

Let the games begin *4.


*3      Arguably the top practitioner of administrative law in the country.


*4      Me thinks that the clever money is on Downer, Steynberg and Trengrove.