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Thousands rally for Zuma
07/05/2006 14:00 - (SA)
Johannesburg - South Africa's former deputy president Jacob Zuma rallied thousands of supporters on Sunday in a show of political strength one day before a judge is to decide whether he will be convicted of rape.
As South Africa braced for Monday's verdict in its most sensational trial since the end of apartheid, a beaming Zuma attended a packed fund-raising concert held for him in a stadium in Soweto outside Johannesburg.
The crowd applauded and cheered as Zuma entered the stadium, where traditional Zulu music stars gave a concert to raise funds for his legal defence.
Zuma, until recently seen as the frontrunner to become South Africa's next president, could face 15 years in prison if found guilty of raping a 31-year-old family friend at his Johannesburg home last November.
An acquittal could keep Zuma's career alive - widening rifts within the ruling African National Congress (ANC) where he remains a popular if polarising figure.
Judge Willem van der Merwe, who under South Africa's non-jury trial system will decide the case, is due to start delivering his verdict at 0700 GMT and has granted permission for the ruling to be broadcast live on television and radio.
Police said they were laying on extra security around the downtown Johannesburg courthouse, where both Zuma supporters and women's groups have staged noisy demonstrations during the almost two months of testimony in the case.
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