S Africa party 'might sue Zuma' Jacob Zuma

S Africa party 'might sue Zuma' Jacob Zuma Mr Zuma's path to the presidency now seems assured South Africa's opposition leader Helen Zille says her party could take Jacob Zuma to court, if state prosecutors fail to renew corruption charges. A high court judge last week ordered that the charges against Mr Zuma, the ANC leader, should be thrown out. The judge also said there was reason to believe the prosecution had been politically motivated. Ms Zille said President Thabo Mbeki had to answer suggestions his government had tried to influence the case. At the weekend, Mr Mbeki denied any such interference. "We've never interfered with the decisions of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to say prosecute this one, don't prosecute the other one," he said in comments to South African state broadcaster SABC. Mr Zuma was charged last December, shortly after he had beaten Mr Mbeki to the presidency of the ANC. Judge Chris Nicholson called the timing "most unfortunate". 'Grounds for removal' Ms Zille said her Democratic Alliance (DA) had written to the speaker of the national assembly to ask for parliament to be reconvened so that Mr Mbeki could explain himself. "Unless he can convincingly rebut the judge's opinion this will constitute grounds for his removal from office," she said at a press conference in Cape Town on Tuesday. It would be a miscarriage of justice if Zuma was to get off the hook due to a legal technicality Helen Zille Opposition leader As ANC leader, Mr Zuma is the strong favourite to become South Africa's next president, after elections in 2009. He denies the 16 counts of corruption, money-laundering and racketeering linked to an arms deal. In his ruling on Friday, Judge Nicholson said the prosecution should have consulted Mr Zuma before renewing the charges, originally put on hold two years ago. Even so, he said his ruling had nothing to do with the guilt or otherwise of Mr Zuma. The NPA could press the charges again, he said, though correspondents say it is under heavy pressure to drop them altogether. Ms Zille said that under the ruling, the NPA had "an obligation" to prosecute. "It would be a miscarriage of justice if Zuma was to get off the hook due to a legal technicality," Ms Zille said. "Should the NPA decline to prosecute, the DA will investigate the option of a private prosecution," she said. Ms Zille also called for a judicial commission of enquiry over the giant arms deal at the centre of allegations against Mr Zuma. But the BBC's Mohammed Allie in Cape Town says Mr Mbeki has turned down such calls in the past, saying there is no need for an enquiry without evidence of wrongdoing.