President Jacob Zuma is still deciding whether to have another go at appealing the “spy tapes” judgment against him, he said in a written parliamentary reply on Wednesday.

“I am still considering the court judgment and weighing my options,” Zuma said in answer to Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Glynnis Breytenbach’s question.

Zuma could petition the Supreme Court of Appeal, or go directly to the Constitutional Court.

On April 29, the ghost of the arms deal came back to haunt Zuma when the High Court in Pretoria ruled that it had been irrational for the National Prosecuting Authority to withdraw the corruption charges he once faced with French arms company Thales.

The charges were withdrawn shortly before Zuma was sworn in as president in 2009, because of what the Pietermaritzburg High Court said was political interference in the investigation.

The decision was based on recordings of telephone conversations between then Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy and former National Prosecuting Authority head Bulelani Ngcuka. The two discussed the timing of bringing charges against Zuma.

After a lengthy process, the DA finally secured access to the recordings, and launched another court challenge over whether acting National Director of Public Prosecutions Mokotedi Mpshe should have dropped the charges.

Judge Aubrey Ledwaba ruled that Mpshe should have let the courts decide whether the charges should be withdrawn.

Zuma and the National Prosecuting Authority applied for leave to appeal, but it was dismissed. Both parties had 30 days from the last judgment of June 24 to indicate whether they would appeal in another court.