Zuma supporters must 'behave'

2006-09-05 07:22

Pietermaritzburg - About 800 people were huddled under blankets in Freedom Square outside the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday securing their spot for Jacob Zuma's court appearance.

The morning mist blanketed the KwaZulu-Natal capital which is bracing itself for another day of boisterous support for Zuma, the former deputy president and current deputy of the ruling African National Congress.

On Tuesday Zuma's legal team will try to have his corruption case thrown out of court while State will seek a postponement of the trial until next year.

Zuma's co-accused, the two Thint companies, would also be seeking to have their case thrown out of court. Zuma is accused of having allegedly accepted a R500 000 a year bribe from Thint in exchange for protection into the arms deal probe.

While the area near the court was being guarded by a large number of policemen with sniffer dogs, enterprising food vendors began setting up their pots.

The supporters were urged on Monday night by the provincial leadership of the Tripartite Alliance to "behave" and not to give Archbishop Desmond Tutu a "reason to preach".

KwaZulu-Natal ANC secretary-general Senzo Mchunu said the ANC was expecting as many as 10 000 people to have converged on Pietermaritzburg by the time Zuma arrived at court.

- SAPA