Former president Jacob Zuma will return to the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on 1 December for the Zuma legal fees appeal. This time, he wants leave to challenge an October ruling. That ruling ordered him to repay R28.9 million in state-funded legal costs from his arms deal corruption case. The appeal seeks to overturn these financial obligations.
In that judgement, Judge Anthony Millar ordered Zuma to repay the money to the State Attorney with interest. This point is central to the Zuma legal fees appeal. As part of the ruling, he gave Zuma 60 days to settle the debt.
‘Victim of Unconstitutional Violence’, Says Zuma’s Lawyer
Meanwhile, Zuma’s legal team argues that he should not carry the bill for the disputed funding. This issue is being contested through the Zuma legal fees appeal. Advocate Thabani Masuku told the court that the state has inflicted “unconstitutional violence” on Zuma. He argues that Zuma did not design or drive any unlawful payments. Instead, he asserts that officials who approved the funding should answer for it.
Masuku says earlier appeal court findings said the state must get the money back. However, he argues they did not clearly state that the money must come from Zuma personally. He also accuses the Presidency and the State Attorney of acting in a “mean and vicious” way by targeting him. Furthermore, he argues that the state could try to claw back the money from other beneficiaries. This includes lawyers who received the fees.
Why the Case Matters for Taxpayers
Meanwhile, the Presidency, the State Attorney and the Democratic Alliance launched the latest High Court bid after a 2024 Supreme Court of Appeal ruling. In that decision, the court found that Zuma did not qualify for taxpayer-funded legal support. It stated that the state had to recover the money. In practical terms, the R28.9 million covers years of legal representation and related costs for his defence in the 1999 arms procurement case, all of which now fall under the Zuma legal fees appeal.
