BREAKING: Zuma halts state capture application
President Jacob Zuma has withdrawn his application for an urgent interdict against the much anticipated state capture report.
Zuma’s advocate, Anthea Platt informed the North Gauteng High Court of the move this morning.
Platt told the court that her instructions were to withdraw the application.
"My instructions are further not to oppose any costs on this scale - the scale of this costs - and we abide [by] the decision of this honourable court in relation to those costs," she said.
Zuma had been trying to prevent the release of former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's report into allegations that the controversial Gupta family had undue influence over executive decisions.
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Madonsela concluded the report last month - with the intention of releasing it before her seven-year tenure ended.
The withdrawal comes as opposition parties - the DA, EFF, UDM, and Cope - were yesterday granted the right to intervene in the matter as respondents.
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The opposition is currently in court - with the DA and EFF arguing for an order to be made that the report is released.
Etienne Labuschagne for the DA argued that Zuma should personally be responsible for state council.
"Because the president has used his official office to assert a private right, and has used his State resources to do so - the court should see through that aspect and treat him as the individual who seeks to assert his personal rights. He should bear those costs, and the State should not," he said.
Meanwhile, Co-operative Governance Minister Des Van Rooyen's application to interdict the release of the report has been struck off the roll.