South Africa’s popular former Deputy President Jacob Zuma will be charged with corruption in a case which has already seen his aide sentenced to 15 years in prison, the prosecution authority announced.

“We have decided to bring criminal charges,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Makhosini Nkosi told a news conference.

“On the basis of the evidence available, we think we have a case that can be successfully prosecuted … Mr Zuma must be ready to appear in court some time this week.”

President Thabo Mbeki fired Zuma as his deputy last week after Zuma’s financial adviser Schabir Shaik was convicted of arranging bribes for him.

Zuma, who was until recently seen as Mbeki’s heir apparent, has denied any wrongdoing.

Shaik, a friend of Zuma from the anti-apartheid struggle, was convicted this month in the Durban High Court of fraud and two counts of corruption. The judge in the case found that the two had a “generally corrupt” relationship.

Shaik was found guilty of trying to solicit a 500,000 rand ($72,500) a year bribe for Zuma from a French arms firm in return for protecting it from an investigation into a massive arms deal arranged by South Africa in the late 1990s.

The other corruption count said Shaik had paid Zuma 1.3 million rand in bribes to induce him to use his political influence to further Shaik’s business interests.

The fraud charge related to accounting for these payments.

Nkosi said the charges against Zuma stemmed in part from the successful prosecution of Shaik. “It will be, among others, two charges of corruption,” he said.

The public prosecutor said in 2003 there was prima facie evidence against Zuma, but a court case would be unwinnable — prompting angry rebuttals from Zuma that he was being subjected to a politically-motivated “trial by media.”

Shaik’s trial and Zuma’s subsequent dismissal from his national post have badly divided the ruling African National Congress (ANC), where Zuma remains party deputy president.

The populist and earthy Zuma enjoys wide grassroots support in the ANC and is also the darling of the party’s trade union and left-wing allies as well as its Youth League.

Reuters, June 20, 2005