Ramaphosa sends legal warning to Zuma

President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken the legal position that he is within his rights to ignore Jacob Zuma’s flawed bid to add him as the third accused in a private prosecution, and to take steps to address a patent abuse of process aimed at preventing his re-election as the ANC’s leader. 

In a letter in response to summons served on Ramaphosa on Thursday, the eve of the ANC’s elective conference, the state attorney said on behalf of the president: “It is an act that in law may and must be ignored.”

The timing was indicative of a desire to derail Ramaphopa’s bid for a second term as leader of the ruling party.