Judgment expected in Downer and Maughan application against Zuma’s private prosecution

The Pietermaritzburg Motion Court is expected to hand down judgment on Wednesday in the application by Advocate Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan to have former President Jacob Zuma’s private prosecution matter set aside.

Zuma is accusing Downer of allegedly leaking his confidential medical records to Maughan. Maughan and Downer are asking the court to set aside the private prosecution and also for an interdict to prevent Zuma from pressing charges against them in the future.

Downer and Maughan will know their fate as Judge Mokgere Masipa is expected to make a ruling on this matter. Evidence led in court in March, stated that it was Advocate Andrew Breitenbach from the Cape Bar, and not Downer, who had sent the court documents to Maughan that contained Zuma’s medical records.

Downer and Maughan both contend that the documents were part of the public court record before they were published in the media.