The NPA has succeeded in its bid to prevent former president Jacob Zuma and French arms company Thales from further delaying the 1999 arms deal case.

According to The Witness, the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg delivered its ruling earlier today (May 14).

The state had filed a counter-application to stop what it described as Zuma and Thales’ ‘Stalingrad’ strategy used to stall the trial.

Background to the dispute

This follows the accused’s challenge to a June 2025 ruling that had rejected their bid to have charges of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering dropped.

Judge Nkosinathi Chili, who previously dismissed an appeal in February 2026, found that Zuma had continued to employ delaying tactics aimed at preventing the trial from commencing.

Findings on delay tactics

During today’s proceedings, Chili said Zuma had been engaging in stalling tactics.

“A factual finding has been made several times, not only by the full court of this division and the Gauteng division, but also by the Supreme Court of Appeal that Mr Zuma is implementing Stalingrad delay tactics to the commencement of the trial,” he said.

The judge stated that allowing the situation to continue unchecked, especially after the dismissal of the appeals, would seriously undermine the interests of justice.

“Without this court’s intervention, it is my view that there is a likelihood of grave injustice or the administration of justice being brought into disrepute. It is not only the interest of Mr Zuma and Thales that the court has to take into account when considering the state’s application, but also the interest of society.

“This court owes the public a duty to facilitate the expeditious commencement and management of the criminal trial,” Chili said.

He further warned that continued tactical litigation would compromise the integrity of the judicial process.

Trial to proceed

As a result, Chili ruled that the trial must proceed irrespective of any interlocutory applications by either the state, Zuma or Thales.

The trial is set to take place on February 1, 2027.

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