State says R28m spent on Zuma's private legal fees must be paid back

Court hears arguments on accountability for state-funded court battles

- ZELDA VENTER

WHILE the presidency and State Attorney seek to recover more than R28 million spent on former President Jacob Zuma’s legal fees, counsel for Zuma questioned why he should face the brunt, while the state officials who in the first place unlawfully granted him the money for his defence are not being held accountable.

Advocate Thabani Masuku told the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, yesterday that Zuma was not granted the money in the first place through corruption.

His legal fees were paid from the State coffers following wrong legal advice to the state.

While Zuma did benefit from the money, it was not his doing that it was given to him. Those officials who allowed the State to pay for his legal fees up until the court in 2019 put an end to this should be held liable to pay the money back, as it was irregular expenditure, Masuku told Judge Anthony Millar.