Before dealing with the charges themselves, Judge van der Merwe addressed the role of the media and organisations that had been particularly vocal during the trial. He noted that Zuma had been found guilty or not guilty by many of these organisations at various stages throughout this matter and that it was unfortunate that they did so without the benefit of the evidence that was presented by both legal teams throughout the trial. Judge van der Merwe pointed out that his judgment would not please everyone and that he would present his reasons for his findings in his judgment. He also noted that times had changed and this was evidenced by the live broadcast of his judgment. His full judgment will also be made available. I will either link to it or make it available on this site as soon as it becomes available although I suspect this may only happen after the full judgment has been handed down.
I will post updates as often as I can throughout the judgment.
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What do you think?