Corruption Charges Dismissed Against Former African Congress Leader

9:58 AM PDT, September 20, 2006 A High Court judge dismissed corruption charges today against Jacob Zuma, opening the way for the controversial former deputy president to make an all-out bid for the leadership of the ruling African National Congress next year and the presidency in 2009. Zuma's political ambitions suffered a blow last year after he was dismissed as deputy president, faced corruption charges and later a rape charge. He has maintained that he was a victim of a conspiracy by figures desperate to undermine him.

His acquittal on the rape charge in May and today's dismissal of corruption charges by Judge Herbert Msimang of the Pietermaritzburg High Court set the scene for a divisive leadership battle in the ANC. Zuma recently has criticized the government over its policies on HIV/AIDS and the economy and accused it of centralizing power too much under President Thabo Mbeki. Zuma's supporters greeted the judge's decision with jubilation.

The prosecutors did not say today what their next step would be, but they could bring a fresh indictment over the corruption charge. The former deputy president was charged with receiving $180,000 for winning government approval of a French arms deal. The charges came after Judge Hilary Squires last year found Zuma had a "generally corrupt relationship" with a friend and financial advisor, Schabir Shaik, who was convicted of corruption over the arms deal.

Msimang dismissed the charges after the prosecution sought extra time to prepare its case against Zuma. Rejecting that application, he said the prosecution case had "limped from one disaster to another." Zuma, who draws his support from the left of the ANC, its youth league, the trade union movement and the South African Communist Party, is a charismatic figure.

Until the charges against him, Zuma was seen by many as the country's most popular politician because of his common touch and ability to articulate the concerns of ordinary voters. The bitter divisions in the ANC over leadership came to light in Zuma's rape trial when the complainant testified that pro-Zuma supporters urged her to drop the charges. They said the case would hurt his chances of winning the party leadership and would allow Mbeki or a member of his camp to continue to lead the party, she testified.

Some analysts see lingering damage over the rape charge after Zuma admitted he had sex without a condom with a woman who was HIV-positive and half his age. He provoked widespread criticism with his testimony that he had showered afterward in the mistaken belief that doing so would reduce the risk of getting HIV/AIDS. Rapule Tabane, political correspondent with the South African weekly the Mail and Guardian, said that while Zuma had support within the tripartite alliance that governs South Africa the ANC, Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party his admissions during the trial made him look foolish and damaged his broader popularity.

"Inside the alliance there's a view that he's a very understanding person. He's not aloof like the current president. He would be most likely to listen to the voice of the poor," Tabane said.

"Outside the alliance he's not respected at all. In fact, he's quite disliked. Outside of politics, people don't want him to be president," said Tabane.

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