(MENAFN) The attorney representing former South African President Jacob Zuma has maintained that he is not accountable for the “unlawful” payments made by the state to cover his legal expenses and should not be compelled to refund the substantial sums involved.

Earlier on Thursday, IOL revealed that the High Court in Pretoria was preparing for a critical legal confrontation as the Presidency and the State Attorney aim to reclaim over R28 million that was spent on Zuma’s court battles.

This request is based on a 2024 judgment by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), which determined that Zuma was not entitled to have his legal costs funded by taxpayers and that the state must be reimbursed for the expenditure.

Zuma’s legal representative, Advocate Thabani Masuku, addressed the high court, expressing bewilderment that the Presidency and State Attorney, who had vigorously defended the payments for Zuma’s legal troubles in the past, are now demanding repayment of those very funds.

Masuku explained, “When the DA and EFF challenged the decisions of the state (to pay Zuma’s legal fees), there were two options available to the state — to relook at their decisions and to do what is called self-review, to say we have looked at the challenges coming to us, self-review and we think we were wrong. Mr Zuma took refuge in that, to say they are standing in their position.”

He further stated, ”Today they are asking Mr Zuma to be saddled with a R28 million on the premise that to do so is to vindicate the rule of law. What law are you vindicating? Mr Zuma is a victim of unconstitutional violence. The defences we have raised are in the context of that debate.”

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