After years of delays and legal battles, a South African court has ruled that former president Jacob Zuma and French defence company Thales must finally face trial over a controversial multi-billion-dollar arms deal corruption case.

South Africa’s long-running arms deal corruption case involving former president Jacob Zuma and French defence giant Thales is moving forward after a court rejected attempts to delay the trial, cbinews.tv reports.

The case dates back to a controversial $2 billion arms deal signed in the 1990s for fighter jets, patrol boats and other military equipment from European defence firms.

Prosecutors accuse Zuma, who was deputy president at the time, of accepting bribes from Thales in exchange for shielding the company from investigations linked to the deal.

Delivering judgement at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, Judge Nkosinathi Chili said the “interests of justice” required the matter to proceed, warning that further delays could damage confidence in the justice system.

The case has become notorious in South Africa for repeated legal appeals and procedural challenges, a strategy often nicknamed “Stop Stalingrad,” referring to efforts aimed at dragging proceedings out for years.

Zuma, now 84, was absent from court during Thursday’s ruling. A trial date is yet to be announced.

Both Zuma and Thales deny wrongdoing and face multiple charges including fraud, corruption and racketeering.

The former president, once known as South Africa’s “Teflon president,” led the country from 2009 to 2018 before being forced out by the ruling ANC amid mounting corruption scandals.

Zuma was also jailed in 2021 for refusing to testify before a corruption inquiry, a move that triggered deadly riots and unrest across South Africa that left more than 350 people dead.

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