'Zuma deserves speedy trial'

2006-05-12 21:36

Cape Town - Reiterating claims of a political conspiracy, Jacob Zuma's lawyer argued on Friday for his client's corruption trial to be concluded speedily so as not to harm his political aspirations.

"It would certainly be extremely detrimental to his prospects of occupying a leadership role in the ANC should the corruption proceedings not be finalised by then," attorney Michael Hulley said in an affidavit, referring to the scheduled election of ruling party office bearers next year.

This applied equally to Zuma's position in the government, states the affidavit, filed in support of an application by arms company Thint for immediate further particulars on the corruption charges it is to face alongside the former deputy president.

"All delays are essentially harmful to Zuma and advantages (sic) to his political opponents."

Anti-Zuma and pro-Zuma camps

Hulley said charging Zuma was a very significant step, changing his status to that of an accused person and resulting in his dismissal by President Thabo Mbeki.

There was still widespread political support for Zuma playing a significant role in the governance of the country, the affidavit reads.

It was also "well-established" that there were two camps in the political sphere: pro- and anti-Zuma.

"In a recent trial wherein Zuma stood accused of rape, the complainant stated that she was well aware that the allegations she had made would become part of the political conspiracy against Zuma," Hulley said.

"Zuma himself testified that his opponents are conspiring to preclude him from playing a meaningful role in the ANC structures and the national government."

An example, Hulley said, was former national prosecutions head Bulelani Ngcuka "holding a secret meeting with some editors to set up an arrangement to try him through the media in respect of the corruption trial".

Zuma had the right to a speedy trial.

The application by Thint and Thint Holdings, accused numbers two and three in the pending corruption trial, list Zuma as an interested party.

The companies claim the absence of further particulars was hampering their ability to prepare for the trial, due to kick off on July 31.

Their application was heard in the Durban High Court on Friday.

Judgment was reserved, and was likely to be delivered next week, said prosecuting advocate Anton Steynberg.

Zuma, acquitted of rape this week, has been charged in line with a high court finding that he had a "generally corrupt" relationship with his former financial adviser, Shaik.

The two Thint companies are South African subsidiaries of French arms dealer Thales, and stand accused of offering Zuma a R500 000-a-year bribe in exchange for his silence during a probe into the country's multi-billion rand arms acquisition.

In convicting Shaik, the Durban High Court found last year the money had been a bribe.

- SAPA