SAfrican court throws out corruption charges against Zuma By M. Subramoney

Durban, Sept 12 (PTI) - The head of the South Africa's
ruling ANC, Jacob Zuma, today was cleared of charges of graft,
fraud, corruption, money-laundering, which could clear the way
for him to become the country's next president.

In a two hour judgement, Judge Chris Nicholson of the
Pietermaritzburg High Court, said Zuma should have been given
an opportunity to make representations about the case.

Calling the move to charge Zuma politically motivated
Judge Nicholson said his sacking as the deputy president in
2005 was "immoral" .

However, the Judge said his ruling did not mean that
he was making a judgement on whether Zuma was guilty or not
guilty of the fraud and corruption charges.

The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has brought
the charges against Zuma in December 2007 after the same
court, a year earlier, had thrown the trial out of the court
after it was found that the NPA was not ready to charge Zuma.

Zuma, who faces 16 charges of fraud, corruption, money
laundering and racketeering, is the front runner for
presidency of Africa's biggest economy, general elections for
which are scheduled for next year when incumbent Thabo Mbeki
will step down after two terms.

Zuma ousted Mbeki -- who fired him as South Africa's
deputy president in June 2005 after the corruption scandal
broke -- as leader of the African National Congress (ANC) late
last year.
The Speaker of Parliament, Baleka Mbetha, said outside
court that the ruling demonstrated that Zuma had been treated
unfairly and she hoped that the NPA would not proceed with
the charges again.

"It will be a brave NPA to continue with its case
especially taking into account what Judge Nicholson has to
say," said Mbetha. PTI SB