The Democratic Alliance (DA) says President Jacob Zuma wants to delay the legal process after he filed an application for leave to appeal the decision of the North Gauteng High Court, ordering him to submit the record and reasons of the decision to reshuffle.

Judge Bashier Vally made the ruling in Pretoria on Thursday, after listening to arguments.

“The president is clearly hell-bent on keeping these reasons from the people of South Africa, and is using every possible court process to do so,” spokesperson Mabine Seabe said.

Seabe said this court application was to frustrate and delay the legal process to review Zuma's disastrous Cabinet reshuffle and the firing of Pravin Gordhan and Mcebisi Jonas.

According to the DA, Zuma has also filed a Notice in terms of Rule 35(12) to bizarrely request that the DA should provide him with the so-called “intelligence report”, upon which he allegedly relied on for recalling Gordhan from his investor roadshow in London, and ultimately firing him from Cabinet four days later.

Seabe said the “intelligence report” has been widely communicated on and addressed by senior members of Zuma’s own government and party, including the Deputy President and the Speaker of the National Assembly.

He said Zuma is using this medium as another delaying tactic in avoiding accountability for his “disastrous” reshuffle that has severe consequences for all people of the country.

According to Seabe, these tactics are substantially the same Zuma used in the Spy Tapes matter, to delay as long as possible the course of justice - and to prevent 783 charges being reinstated against him.

He said the DA does not believe that Zuma’s application for leave to appeal has a likelihood of success, saying the party would resist the application for leave to appeal with vigour.