South African court postpones Zuma’s corruption trial to September 9

A South African court has postponed the long-delayed corruption trial against former president Jacob Zuma to September 9, following his hospitalisation.

High Court Judge, Piet Koen, granted the postponement and also ordered Zuma’s team to produce a medical report by August 20, and for the state to appoint a medical doctor to assess whether he was fit to stand trial.

Mr Zuma’s sentence in July on a separate contempt of court matter led to a wave of looting and unrest.

He was expected to appear at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday on a two billion dollars arms deal corruption case that led to his sack as South Africa’s deputy president in 2005.

The former president, 79, is serving a 15-month sentence at Estcourt prison in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal after he failed to heed a court order to attend an inquiry in corruption during his time as president.

He was moved to a hospital on Friday for medical observation.

In May, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Reuters

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