South Africa: Jacob Zuma's hopes of becoming South Africa's next president have been dealt a serious blow with the decision yesterday of the country's highest appeal court to uphold the conviction for corruption of his financial adviser.
The Supreme Court of Appeals said it found "a wealth of evidence" showing the friendship between Mr Zuma and Schabir Shaik "was persistently and aggressively exploited" by the latter. The judges also said they found no reason to reduce Shaik's jail sentence of 15 years.
The Durban businessman, part of a wealthy Indian family with strong ties to the ruling African National Congress (ANC), was convicted last year of two counts of corruption and one of fraud.
Among his crimes was an attempt to solicit a bribe to Mr Zuma from a French arms manufacturer seeking to do business in South Africa. The judge in the case cited a "generally corrupt" relationship with between Shaik and Mr Zuma - a revelation which led President Thabo Mbeki to fire the then deputy president from government.
The sacking opened deep rifts within the ANC, sections of which want Mr Zuma to be nominated as the party's presidential candidate next year.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has signalled its desire to lay fresh charges of corruption against Mr Zuma after a case against him collapsed last September. NPA spokesman Makhosini Nkosi said one reason the state was not ready to proceed was because of uncertainty over Shaik's appeal. The prosecuting authority has been given added impetus by the appeal court judges' finding that the payments at the centre of Shaik's trial "were corruptly made to influence Mr Zuma to act in conflict with his constitutional duties".
To date, Mr Zuma has denied wrongdoing and has claimed he is the victim of a political conspiracy to thwart his presidential hopes. The ANC Youth League, one of Mr Zuma's most prominent supporters, said no inference of guilt with regards to the politician should be drawn from yesterday's verdict.
However, opposition party Democratic Alliance said the judgment had serious political implications for Mr Zuma.
Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille, who has been campaigning for an inquiry into South Africa's arms deals, said "many more" prominent people could face jail with the verdict.