South African Court Sets Zuma Trial for 2027

A South African High Court ruled on Thursday that the long-delayed corruption trial of former President Jacob Zuma and French defense company Thales must proceed, setting a start date of February 1, 2027, despite the defendants' efforts to further postpone it.

Judge Nkosinathi Chili of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg rejected what he described as repeated delaying tactics by the defense, known as a "Stalingrad defense." He ordered the trial to go forward regardless of any additional interlocutory applications from the state or defense. "Without this court's intervention, there is a likelihood of grave injustice or the administration of justice being brought into disrepute," Chili stated, emphasizing the court's duty to ensure public confidence in the judicial process and the interests of society alongside those of the accused.

The case, ongoing for more than two decades since charges were first filed around 2003, centers on South Africa's 1999 arms procurement deal worth billions of rand. Zuma, then deputy president, and Thales face charges including fraud, corruption, racketeering, and money laundering. Prosecutors allege Zuma received payments totaling about...