President Jacob Zuma’s legal problems continue to haunt him, but his legal team have taken an aggressive approach to the legal bid to challenge the withdrawal of charges saying the case is an “abuse of process” aimed at smearing the ruling ANC and its leader.

The Start this morning revealed the arguments of Zuma’s lawyer Michael Hulley, who is adamant that any such challenge is “academic” because it is “simply inconceivable” that any prosecuting head would indict a sitting president.

Meanwhile DA leader Helen Zille told News24 that the statement by President Jacob Zuma’s lawyers that he cannot be prosecuted during his term in office reveals the extent of the ANC’s threat to the Constitution.

DA leader Helen Zille made the comment in answer to Zuma’s affidavit which was in turn in answer to the Democratic Alliance’s application in the High Court in Pretoria to review the decision by the National Prosecuting Authority to withdraw charges against Zuma shortly before the April 22 election.

“The NPA’s decision, which the DA believes was unlawful and unconstitutional, gave Zuma a legally unencumbered run to the presidency,” she said in a statement.

Zuma’s reply to the DA, tabled by his lawyer Michael Hulley, contained “blatant untruths in the attempt to continue the Zuma camp’s strategy of spinning out the case indefinitely.

“Most sinister of all, it undermines the Constitution by falsely claiming that a sitting president is above the law.”

Zuma later refused to comment on his legal submission, saying it was written by lawyers.