Zuma, Thales back in court for appeal bid to have Arms Deal charges dropped

Former President Jacob Zuma and French arms company Thales are back in the KwaZulu-Natal high court for another bid to have their corruption charges dropped.

On Thursday, the court will hear their leave to appeal June 2025 ruling that dismissed their attempt to have the charges dropped.

The company and Zuma are charged with several counts of fraud, money laundering and corruption relating to the controversial 1999 Arms Deal.

ALSO READ: Zuma, Thales lose bid to have arms deal charges against them dropped

At the heart of Thales application to have the charges against it dropped, is the fact that two of its former directors have died.

Thales said the death of the two directors, with intimate knowledge of the case, means it’s impossible for them to be guaranteed a fair trial.

However, in June 2025, Judge Nkosinathi Chili dismissed the company’s arguments, saying there were alternative witnesses.

Chili added there is no provision in the Criminal Procedure Act that empowers a court to direct the State to withdraw a charge or stop a prosecution of an accused person.

In its heads of arguments for leave to appeal, Thales said Judge Chili failed to assert the Constitution’s supremacy.

It said Section 35 of the Constitution, which deals with the right to a fair trial, trumps the Criminal Procedure Act.