HE President Zuma's Letter of Appreciation to his Legal Team

10 June 2022

This letter serves to express my appreciation for a milestone achievement against all odds, to successfully secure the certificate to privately prosecute Adv Downer SC.

The accomplishment by my legal team in a hostile and toxic environment necessitated me to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude for the diligent work carried out by the legal team under the leadership of Adv Mpofu SC and Adv Masuku SC,

This gives us a unique opportunity for the first time since the commencement of this case, approximately 17 years ago, to examine the misconduct of the state, through maliciously charging me for the famous "Arms Deal "case,

I have always maintained that the trumped-up charges against me are in the main meant to cover-up the real culprits and beneficiaries of the Armament Procurement Programme known as Arms Deal,

Their process of investigation has many flaws and laws have been violated. This violation of the laws and procedures included the NPA which violated its own NPA Act.

I am very pleased that my legal team will now be in a better position to implicate and hopefully bring charges to the real culprits who actually violated the laws of our country.

When the then head of NPA, Adv Mpshe struck this case off the roll, there was more than enough evidence that convinced him that his own colleagues at the NPA had violated the laws as well as the NPA Act. Therefore, he was convinced that there was no case to take to court hence his decisions not to prosecute.

My observation, and the most disturbing thing regarding this matter is that, this case was revived by an opposition political party that used politics to bring back, a case which had been objectively closed by the Head of the Prosecutors of the country,

Evidence of political conspiracy as well as misconduct by the investigators and prosecutors is all there for all to see in what is termed "spy tapes" where in politicians and investigators were conniving to arrest and charge me.

Therefore, through this process, of the private prosecution of Adv Downer SC, we shall be able to come to the truth and to get to know who benefited from the billions of Arms Deal Procurement bribes and the real conspiracy behind this case that has taken two decades.

Once again, I would like to express my appreciation for the work done by my legal team. Ningapheli amandla, sekuseduze phambili.

Statement issued by Mzwanele Manyi at the Jacob G Zuma Foundation, 10 June 2022