Ramaphosa makes his move to quash Zuma's private prosecution bid

President Cyril Ramaphosa wants the high court in Pretoria to issue an order declaring the summons served on him for his private prosecution unlawful, invalid and to be set aside.

His predecessor, Jacob Zuma, is behind the private prosecution attempt. 

In papers filed to the court on Monday, Ramaphosa sought to have the matter heard urgently. 

He listed Zuma, the director of public prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and registrar of the high court in Johannesburg as respondents in the case.

While he waits for the ruling on his application, Ramaphosa wants an interdict to stop the respondents from taking any further steps to give effect to the nolle prosequi certificate issued to Zuma by the NPA on November 21 and the summons issued by the registrar on December 15 and 21. 

Zuma has instituted a private prosecution against Ramaphosa over his alleged failure to adequately deal with allegations of improper conduct against state advocate Billy Downer.

The summons was issued after Ramaphosa’s political opponents failed to topple him in parliament over the Phala Phala report before the ANC's recent elective conference.

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