The Pietermaritzburg High Court has postponed the corruption trial case against former president Jacob Zuma to January next year.

The postponement comes pending the appeal application by Zuma to the Constitutional Court to have the state prosecutor, Advocate Billy Downer, removed from the trial.

Zuma’s legal team had filed an application to the Constitutional Court urging it to direct the Supreme Court of Appeal to reconsider its decision to deny Zuma leave to appeal the dismissal of his special plea, challenging Downer’s standing as a state prosecutor.

Similar appeals by Zuma were dismissed by Koen and the Supreme Court of Appeal earlier this year.

This led Zuma to approach the Constitutional Court. Zuma wants the trial to be halted pending his application for leave to appeal a Constitution Court ruling.

On Monday, Zuma argued that Downer should step aside as he is being privately prosecuted as accused number one on another matter where he is accused of leaking Zuma’s medical records to journalist Karyn Maughan.

In court on Wednesday, Zuma and Downer were not in court after they were excused from proceedings.

Zuma and French arms firm Thales are accused of corruption, racketeering, and money laundering linked to the 1999 arms deal.

The matter is due back in court on January 30, 2023.