The Pietermaritzburg High Court has issued an arrest warrant for former President Jacob Zuma but the judge has stayed the warrant until his corruption trial resumes on 6 May.
Zuma was due in the dock on Tuesday where he's facing charges of corruption linked to the multi-billion rand arms deal but he skipped court on grounds of needing medical treatment.
The former president's lawyer presented the judge with a sick note from what he said was a military hospital, but the judge questioned whether the note was valid or even written by a doctor.
Zuma's lawyer Daniel Mantsha said that they were disappointed that the judge wanted proof.
"We're very disappointed that the court would doubt a medical certificate from the military with an original stamp from a military hospital. It's absolutely disappointing."
He said that he would first establish whether Zuma was well enough to hear the news about the warrant.
"I'll have to talk to the doctors who are with him and his entire team to see if he's in a condition to listen to this. We'll engage - I'm not sure he'll be in a condition to listen to this... I'll get an advisement from his medical team."
This article was originally published by EWN.
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