Open Questions: Arms Deal, Digital Vibes/Mkhize accountability
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Arms Deal trial date: On April 24, 2026, the Pietermaritzburg High Court is scheduled to rule on the state’s application and set a trial date for Zuma and Thales. Will a trial date actually be set, or will further applications delay proceedings?
Status: Unresolved as of April 2026 — the April 24 hearing is upcoming at research cutoff. If a trial date is set, it would be the first time in the 26-year history of this case that an actual trial is scheduled. Outcome expected to be reported immediately.
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Schabir Shaik recall: Shaik was released on medical parole in 2009 having served 2 years of a 15-year sentence. Is there any legal mechanism still available to recall him? Has any application been made?
Status: Unresolved. No application to recall Shaik has been reported. After 17 years on medical parole, any recall would be legally and politically extraordinary. The Department of Correctional Services has never explained its approach.
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Digital Vibes prosecution: The SIU referred Mkhize and Dedani to the NPA for possible charges in July 2021. As of August 2025, new PwC-backed evidence was introduced before the Special Tribunal. Has the NPA made any prosecution decision?
Status: Unresolved as of April 2026. No criminal charges filed. The SIU civil recovery proceedings before the Special Tribunal continue. The NPA appears to be waiting for the Special Tribunal proceedings to establish factual findings before committing to prosecution. Consistent with the broader NPA accountability gap on post-Zondo and COVID-era corruption.
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Digital Vibes Tribunal outcome: What has the Special Tribunal found on the SIU’s primary application to set aside the R150m Digital Vibes contracts and recover the money?
Status: Unresolved. No final Special Tribunal judgment on the main application has been reported as of April 2026. The admission of the third supplementary affidavit (PwC) was approved in August 2025, meaning the substantive proceedings are still underway.