![Former South African President Jacob Zuma appears at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on June 23, 2020. - Former President Zuma stands accused of taking kickbacks before he became president from a 51 billion rand (3.4 billion US dollar) purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and military equipment manufactured by five European firms, including French defence company Thales. (Photo by KIM LUDBROOK / POOL / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by KIM LUDBROOK has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [on June 23, 2020] instead of [on June 22, 2020].](https://www.channelstv.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/000_1TX9MV.jpg)
![Former South African President Jacob Zuma appears at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on June 23, 2020. - Former President Zuma stands accused of taking kickbacks before he became president from a 51 billion rand (3.4 billion US dollar) purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and military equipment manufactured by five European firms, including French defence company Thales. (Photo by KIM LUDBROOK / POOL / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by KIM LUDBROOK has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [on June 23, 2020] instead of [on June 22, 2020].](http://www.channelstv.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/000_1TX9MV.jpg)
The corruption trial of South Africa’s embattled ex-president Jacob Zuma and French arms manufacturer Thales, which was due to resume this week, has been postponed to February next year, the high court ordered on Tuesday.
Zuma, in power from 2009 to 2018, faces 16 charges of fraud, graft, and racketeering relating to the purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and military equipment.
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He allegedly took bribes of four million rand ($220,000 / 200,000 euros) over a $3.4-billion arms deal with French aerospace and defence giant Thales in 1999, when he was deputy president.
Judge Nompulelo Radebe of the Pietermaritzburg high court said, “the matter is postponed provisionally to 23 February 2021 for the resolution of… outstanding pre-trial management issues.”
Neither Zuma nor a representative from Thales were present in the dock.
Radebe said the delay would allow time for both the defence and prosecutors to request further details in the matter, including the trial letter.
Clarity on the restrictions on international travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic will also be sought, as some witnesses live abroad.
Zuma was forced to step down in 2018 by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) after a nine-year reign marked by corruption allegations and dwindling popularity.
His successor Cyril Ramaphosa made the fight against graft the cornerstone of his presidency.
AFP
