President Cyril Ramaphosa is to study the merits of the Democratic Alliance's (DA's) court challenge to the state's payment of former president Jacob Zuma's legal fees. Only then will he decide if he will oppose it.

"The president will await the court challenge, look at the merits and then take a decision based on that," Ramaphosa's spokesperson Khusela Diko said.

On Thursday, the Democratic Alliance announced that it would approach the court to set aside the decision to allow taxpayers' money to be used to pay Zuma's legal fees.

Ramaphosa later explained that the deal struck between then president Thabo Mbeki and Zuma in 2006 was based on the provisions of the State Attorney Act.

Since then, Zuma has faced numerous legal challenges.

Prosecution

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has decided to prosecute Zuma on 16 charges of corruption, fraud, money laundering and racketeering, which are linked to 783 questionable payments.

The payments date back to his term in the KwaZulu-Natal government and his later ascension to the national office as the deputy president of the country.

The DA said Zuma's application for legal assistance related to the corruption trial he faced in 2009.

It was not related to the R15.3-million he spent on a civil trial linked to the court battle for the release of transcripts of phone conversations, known as the "spy tapes", which were used to secure the dropping of the corruption charges.

This was a battle brought to the courts by the main opposition party in a bid to have the 16 charges against Zuma reinstated.

"The president has not made a judgment call as far as the matter is concerned," said Diko.

She added that the previous deal would remain enforceable and binding.

"That is until the courts conclude on the matter and say he acted in his capacity as an official or an individual, in which case should he be found guilty then he is liable."

Another opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which initially questioned Zuma's legal fees in Parliament, has also rejected the response and called it "fundamentally and fatally flawed in both law and simple logic".

The party said they also instructed lawyers to prepare a court application challenging the deal. It also declared that it would make sure that Zuma paid back the R15-million for the legal costs and for all other payments to be halted with immediate effect.

The EFF has also requested that the correspondence and agreement between Zuma and Mbeki be made public.

Diko said the president would still consult his lawyers on the matter, but had an understanding that it was privileged and confidential.