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DA ‘may not release content of Zuma spy tapes’

Johannesburg - The Democratic Alliance will not release the contents of the widely discussed Jacob Zuma "spy tapes" to the public on Thursday.

The decision was made after the party obtained legal advice from its lawyers.

Beeld reported earlier that a recent ruling by the Western Cape High Court would probably prevent the DA from sharing the tapes with a third party that was not involved in the case.

DA federal council chairperson James Selfe confirmed to Beeld on Wednesday night  that this was the case.

But he said the party was in the process of obtaining a second legal opinion.

The judgment referred to was handed down by Judge Ashley Binns-Ward in the case between the City of Cape Town and the South African National Roads Agency.

Binns-Ward found in his ruling that the principles of South African common law prevent a court file being made available to parties other than those involved in the application before the case goes to court.

DA leader Helen Zille also confirmed in a tweet that South Africans should not expect to hear the contents of the tapes on Thursday. 

The Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) must hand over the recordings to the DA, so the party can use them as part of its legal bid to reinstate corruption charges against Zuma.

The NPA said that the tapes, which were supposed to be recordings of conversations between former head Bulelani Ngcuka and then Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy, proved a political conspiracy against President Jacob Zuma, and thus it couldn’t continue with its case against him

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