![[file] Former South African president Jacob Zuma appears at the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban on April 6, 2018, during for a brief preliminary hearing on corruption charges linked to a multi-billion dollar 1990s arms deal./ AFP PHOTO / POOL / Nic BOTHMA](https://i0.wp.com/www.today.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/16144356-696x497.jpg?resize=662%2C473&ssl=1 "[file] Former South African president Jacob Zuma appears at the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban on April 6, 2018, during for a brief preliminary hearing on corruption charges linked to a multi-billion dollar 1990s arms deal.<br />/ AFP PHOTO / POOL / Nic BOTHMA")
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the spokeswoman for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), told AFP that Zuma’s lawyers filed papers at the High Court in Durban requesting a “permanent stay of prosecution”.
“I can confirm that (the application has been filed),” she said on the phone.
Zuma, 76, is due back in court for a hearing on November 30.
He is accused of taking bribes from French defence company Thales during his time as a provincial economy minister and later as deputy president of the ruling ANC party.
He allegedly pocketed around four million rands ($340,000, 280,000 euros) from 783 payments handled by Schabir Shaik, a businessman who acted as his financial adviser.
Thales on Thursday announced in a statement that it had also filed its own court application to have the prosecution dropped.
The company argues that the re-introduction of the charges “holds no validity” because the charges were originally struck down in 2009.
A separate judicial enquiry into alleged state corruption during Zuma’s time as president is currently hearing evidence in Johannesburg.
