Former South African president Jacob Zuma has slammed the high court decision barring him from pursuing a private prosecution against President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing the judiciary on Tuesday of “preferential treatment” towards Ramaphosa.The South African High Court sitting in Johannesburg on Monday interdicted Zuma from going ahead with a case in which he was accusing Ramaphosa of being an “accessory after the fact” in the alleged leak of the former president’s medical records to the media. 

Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi accused the North Gauteng High Court of failing to deliver justice by giving Ramaphosa “preferential treatment”.

Manyi said the court erred in finding that Ramaphosa would suffer harm if he were to appear in a criminal court.

“From where we sit, irreparable harm is not something that President Jacob Zuma would suffer,” foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi said.

He added: “If the court acquits you, the harm is repaired. So what this means is that, we have a criminal justice system for the elite and one for the poor, where the elite can evade going to court.”