A night vigil will be held in Durban on Tuesday night for former deputy president Jacob Zuma, the News24 website reported.
It will be supported by members of the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu), the African National Congress Youth League, the South African Communist Party and others as a show of solidarity.
”We believe the deputy president has been unfairly tried and found guilty by the media and opposition parties, and we are saying we fully stand by him and we will continue throughout the trial,” said Cosatu’s provincial chairperson Sdumo Dlamini.
Speaking at the Cosatu protest march on Monday, Dlamini said they had opened a trust fund through which they will contribute financially towards the legal costs of Zuma’s trial.
He said the trial was already spoiled because Judge Hilary Squires had said Zuma had a generally corrupt relationship with convicted Durban businessman Schabir Shaik.
Asked what they would do if Zuma was found guilty, Dlamini said they would still support him.
Dlamini said Zuma would be the next president of the ANC and of South Africa.
”We know the capitalists do not want him to be president because he is close to the masses,” said Dlamini.
Zuma is expected to appear in the Durban High Court on Wednesday to face corruption charges.
Meanwhile, the former head of the Special Investigation Unit, Judge Willem Heath, announced on Monday that he will act as a legal adviser to Zuma.
Heath met Zuma on Monday morning, according to a statement issued by Heath Executive Consultants.
The former judge, who in 2000 was tasked with investigating corruption regarding the government’s controversial R43-billion arms deal — said he would not be part of the team representing Zuma in court.
”I agreed to accept a brief as legal counsel to advise him on the merits of the corruption charges which may be brought against him,” said Heath.
”I will not be part of the legal team, which will represent him in any criminal trial which may be brought against him.”
He added that he would also not be issuing statements on his progress regarding ”the merits of the matter”. – Sapa