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Cape Town - The presidency is still studying the verdict of the "Spy Tapes" appeal before indicating how it would respond, spokesperson Bongani Ngqulunga said on Saturday.
Observers are waiting for President Jacob Zuma's next move after the High Court in Pretoria dismissed his application for leave to appeal a previous decision that he should face corruption charges.
"We are still studying the judgment," said Ngqulunga, adding that there had been no change from Friday's position that Zuma's options were being considered.
Usually if a court has dismissed an application for leave to appeal, someone wishing to pursue a matter could petition the Supreme Court of Appeal. If that is not successful and if they feel a Constitutional point is at stake, they could leapfrog the SCA and apply to the Constitutional Court for permission to apply there.
The case dates back to an announcement on April 6 2009 by former Acting National Prosecuting Authority head Mokotedi Mpshe that transcripts of telephone conversations between then-Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy and former NPA boss Bulelani Ngcuka showed political interference in the decision to charge Zuma.
He had faced 783 charges of corruption with an arms company Thales/Thint. The case against Zuma and the company were withdrawn in court on April 7 2009.
The opposition Democratic Alliance insists that Zuma must face the music and applied for a review of Mphe's decision.
On April 29, Judge Aubrey Ledwaba ruled that Mpshe had acted irrationally after coming under pressure, paving the way for the case to be put back on the court roll.
Meanwhile, Zuma continued with business as usual with the launch of election countdown clock in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.
