Jacob Zuma Awaits Judgment on Appeal Against R28.9 Million Legal Fees Repayment

Zuma Challenges R28.9 Million Repayment Order

Former South African President Jacob Zuma is currently awaiting a decision from the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria regarding his application for leave to appeal a significant court order. The order mandates him to repay R28,960,774.34 in state funds that were utilized for his personal legal fees. Judgment on the appeal application was reserved on Monday, December 1, 2025.

Background to the Repayment Mandate

The initial ruling, delivered by Judge Anthony Millar in October 2025, explicitly ordered Zuma to personally reimburse the state. This decision followed years of litigation and previous judgments that deemed the state's funding of Zuma's private legal defense unlawful. Judge Millar's October ruling was the first to directly instruct Zuma to repay the money, asserting that he had personally benefited from the unlawful funding and that repayment was essential to 'vindicate the rule of law'.

The court set a 60-day deadline for Zuma to settle the debt. Failure to comply could lead to the State Attorney initiating proceedings to attach his assets, potentially including his presidential pension, though any such attachment would require a further court order.

Grounds for Zuma's Appeal

During the appeal hearing, Zuma's legal team, led by Advocate Thabani Masuku, argued that the October judgment misinterpreted earlier court decisions. Masuku contended that while previous rulings found the state funding unlawful, they did not explicitly issue an order against Zuma personally. The defense maintained that Zuma was not personally liable for the funds, suggesting that responsibility should lie with the state officials who authorized the payments.

Previous Judicial Findings

The current legal battle is rooted in a series of prior judgments concerning Zuma's legal costs. In 2018, a High Court ruling declared that the state's funding of Zuma's private defense was unlawful and that the money had to be recovered. This was affirmed by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in 2021, which confirmed that Zuma was no longer entitled to further state funding and dismissed his appeal against the ruling. The SCA emphasized that a repayment order was necessary to 'remedy the abuse of public resources; vindicate the rule of law; and, reaffirm the constitutional principles of accountability and transparency'.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have been active interested parties in these legal proceedings, advocating for the recovery of taxpayer money.

Next Steps

With judgment reserved, all parties now await the High Court's decision on whether Zuma will be granted leave to appeal the order to repay the R28.9 million. The outcome will have significant implications for the former president and the ongoing efforts to recover state funds.