Axed deputy president Jacob Zuma appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Saturday. He was formally served with an indictment.
The case was remanded to the Durban High Court for trial on July 31 next year. It will run until November 30 2006.
Earlier on Saturday, hundreds of people danced and sang to the sounds of trumpets and drums outside the court as they prepared for Zuma’s arrival.
”We have been here all night and we will stay until this afternoon,” said one man who had taken the bus from Richards Bay to Durban to see Zuma.
High-profile ANC members congregated outside the court. They included ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe, Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele.
Dozens of people wearing pro-Zuma T-shirts were asleep on the grass outside the court.
Many had made fires during the night on the grass and some were frying chunks of meat while nearby vendors sold orange juice, chips and cold drinks.
The Mail & Guardian reported on Friday that Zuma’s lawyers were preparing an application to set aside charges laid against their client, based on arguments that he will be denied a fair trial.
Zuma’s attorney, Michael Hulley, confirmed that such an application was being prepared and would be launched some time before Zuma’s corruption trial next year.
The actions against Zuma follow a finding by the Durban High Court that Zuma had a generally corrupt relationship with Durban businessman Schabir Shaik, who was convicted on corruption and related charges earlier this year.
Zuma was subsequently axed by President Thabo Mbeki. At Zuma’s last court appearance in October, his supporters burned T-shirts bearing the image of Mbeki.
They also shouted insults at leading African National Congress figures.
The ANC had promised to keep Saturday’s court appearance incident-free. Zuma had also appealed to his supporters to act with restraint.
”I want to appeal to those who come to support me not to repeat what happened in the past,” he said earlier this week.
The proceedings were being conducted under tight security. People were being searched on the streets outside the court and police had erected temporary fences outside the court building. Several roads in the area were closed.
”I didn’t sleep. We were just singing and jumping. Zuma is a good man, they must give him a fair trial,” said 48-year-old Cecili Mhkize, dressed in a red ”Bring back Zuma” T-shirt printed with a photograph of a smiling Zuma.
On Friday evening, the Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust held a dinner to raise funds for Zuma’s legal fees, collecting pledges totalling about R210 000, a far cry from its aim of R12-million.
”I believe in JZ [Jacob Zuma]; he’s an innocent man being crucified for something he has not done,” said Durban businessman Elias Khumalo, who pledged R15 000.
”There’s a political conspiracy to make sure he doesn’t become president,” Khumalo added. — Sapa, Sapa-AFP