Zuma stalls graft trial as he seeks new appeal

Bloomberg

Former South African President Jacob Zuma was briefly back in court on Tuesday as the start of his trial on graft, racketeering and money laundering charges inched closer, a decade after prosecutors tried to shelve the case amid allegations of political interference.
High Court Judge Sharmaine Bolton delayed the trial in the eastern town of Pietermaritzburg until February 4 to give him time to challenge a ruling last week in the same court that the case should go ahead. The Supreme Court of Appeal confirmed two years ago that a decision in 2009 not to pursue the charges was irrational.
“Mr Zuma seeks to exercise the full extent of his constitutional rights, which includes to appeal an unfavorable decision,” his lawyer Thabani Masuku told the court.
The case is a boon for Zuma’s successor, Cyril Ramaphosa, who is under pressure to follow through on a pledge to tackle corruption, as was the sparsity of supporters for the former leader inside and outside the court. Zuma has attracted thousands of backers to previous court appearances and the small crowd may reflect his dwindling influence.