After more than two decades of relentless legal battles and strategic delays, the long-running arms deal corruption trial involving former President Jacob Zuma and French arms company Thales is finally set to proceed. In a landmark ruling that signals the potential end of Zuma’s notorious “Stalingrad tactics,” the Pietermaritzburg High Court has ordered that the trial must commence without any further postponements or interlocutory applications.
Presiding over the matter, Judge Nkosinathi Chili delivered a decisive judgment on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in favour of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The NPA had brought an application, colloquially known as the “Stop Stalingrad” application, seeking to compel the trial to move forward. Judge Chili’s ruling unequivocally supported the State’s position, concluding that both Zuma and Thales had deliberately employed delaying tactics throughout the protracted legal process.
“The trial is to proceed irrespective of any interlocutory applications either by the State or the defence. The parties are directed to the registrar for a suitable trial date,” Judge Chili declared before adjourning the court. This directive hands the prerogative of setting the trial date to the court registrar, effectively removing the ability of the defence to introduce further delays through procedural manoeuvres.
The saga began in 2005 when Jacob Zuma was first charged with arms deal-related corruption. These charges were subsequently dropped but reinstated in 2018, at which point Thales was joined as a co-accused. The charges against Zuma include 18 counts of corruption, racketeering, and fraud, all stemming from the controversial 1990s arms deal.
Throughout the years, Zuma’s legal team has mounted a series of applications and appeals, which Judge Chili meticulously detailed in his ruling as evidence of the “Stalingrad tactics.” These tactics, a legal term referring to deliberate and prolonged efforts to delay court proceedings, have been a hallmark of Zuma’s defence strategy. On November 15, 2018, Zuma’s legal representatives launched a permanent stay of prosecution application, which was ultimately dismissed by the court on October 11, 2019.
Further attempts to derail the trial included an application filed on May 21, 2021, seeking the removal of State prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer from the case. This application was dismissed by Judge Piet Koen, who directed the trial to proceed in April 2022. Following this, a cascade of unsuccessful applications for leave to appeal were lodged, including a reconsideration application to the Supreme Court of Appeal and two separate applications to the Constitutional Court, all of which failed to halt the proceedings.
The former President also initiated private prosecution proceedings on September 5, 2022, against Advocate Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan. This action was in response to the alleged leaking of his confidential medical information. However, both Maughan and Downer successfully approached the court on an urgent basis on September 21 and 27, 2022, respectively, securing interdicts against the private prosecution. The interdict was granted on June 7, 2023, and Zuma’s subsequent appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Appeal. The private prosecution was eventually removed from the roll by the court on April 9, 2024.
Most recently, Zuma launched yet another application to remove Advocate Downer as the public prosecutor, while Thales, his co-accused, also filed a separate application to quash the charges against it – an application that Zuma supported. These latest efforts, like those before them, have now been decisively rejected by the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Advocate Wim Trengove SC, representing the State, had passionately argued for the trial to commence at the earliest possible date, urging Judge Chili to ensure that any order to start the trial without delay would not be suspended by further appeals. The court’s ruling reflects the State’s growing frustration with the prolonged legal manoeuvres and its determination to see justice served.
The implications of this ruling are significant. For the NPA, it represents a major victory in its long-standing effort to bring the arms deal trial to conclusion. For Jacob Zuma, now a prominent figure in the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), it signifies the narrowing of his legal options and the increasing likelihood that he will finally face the charges that have shadowed him for much of his political career. The defence’s argument that some key witnesses had died, which Thales used in its bid to have charges dropped, was also rejected by the court.
This judgment underscores the principle that while every accused person has the right to a fair trial and to exhaust all legal avenues, these rights cannot be exploited indefinitely to obstruct the course of justice. The South African legal system, despite its complexities and occasional delays, has demonstrated its capacity to push through prolonged litigation to ensure accountability.
The eyes of the nation are now fixed on the horizon, with the trial officially set to commence in February 2027. The conclusion of this trial, regardless of its outcome, will undoubtedly mark a pivotal moment in South Africa’s legal and political landscape, bringing a measure of closure to a saga that has captivated and divided the country for over two decades.
