The Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ), confirming SCA President Mandisa Maya has finally dismissed former President Jacob Zuma's latest bid to force the removal of prosecutor Billy Downer from his corruption trial, has gone to great length to stress there was no deliberate delaying of the decision.

In a detailed statement released last night, the OCJ strongly denied any suggestion that the delays in the SCA dealing with two Zuma appeals – his corruption trial reconsideration application and his bid to appeal a ruling that he had been unlawfully granted medical parole – had been deliberate.

‘It is most unfortunate that the delays on these two matters have been directly attributed to the President of the SCA, Justice Maya. Some reports have suggested that the delays were a deliberate act on her part. The facts in this regard do not support these assertions,’ the OCJ statement read.

‘As has been explained to members of the media that have taken the time to inquire with the OCJ personnel, the delays were as a result of administrative challenges within the SCA general office. The OCJ, as the administrative support to the judiciary, has identified the challenges relating to these matters and is currently addressing any inadequacies in control measures and processes within the general office. The OCJ has assured President Maya that they will take the necessary corrective measures to address the failures of its support staff.’

Legal writer Karyn Maughan, in a News24 report, notes the OCJ statement comes after Zuma's corruption trial was postponed until August so that Maya could rule on the former President's reconsideration application.

Zuma's lawyers filed that application on 11 April.

‘President Maya became seized with it (the reconsideration application) on 17 May 2022 and not since March 2022 as has been widely reported,’ the OCJ stated.

On the delay in the SCA hearing Zuma's challenge to the ruling that he was unlawfully granted medical parole, while serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of the Constitutional Court, the OCJ stated: ‘President Maya, having considered the application for an expedited date of hearing of the appeal, sent an email to the former Registrar of the SCA, Mr Paul Myburgh, on 11 February 2022, requesting him to inform the parties that she was disposed to set the appeal down for hearing during May 2022. The former Registrar was also requested to inquire from the parties as to when they would be ready to file the appeal record and their respective heads of argument to enable her to issue the necessary directives. The former Registrar instead wrote to the parties that the appeal could “not be accommodated”.’

News24 notes the statement concludes that Maya, who will interview for the position of Deputy Chief Justice on 20 June, ‘remains committed to the principle of judicial independence and the application of the law impartially and without fear, favour or prejudice as required by the Constitution’.

NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga welcomed the SCA judgment dismissing the reconsideration application by Zuma.

‘We will now focus on ensuring that the trial resumes on 15 August 2022,’ Mhaga is quoted as saying.

Full News24 report