South Africa's former deputy president Jacob Zuma has expended more political lives than an accident-prone cat. Last week, a judge threw out corruption charges against him stemming from a government arms deal in the 1990s. Fifteen months ago, Zuma's financial adviser Schabir Shaik

404 Not Found

---

nginx/1.14.0 (Ubuntu) was found guilty of corruption in a case linked to that deal; in that case, the judge said that there had been a "generally corrupt relationship" between Zuma and Shaik.

President Thabo Mbeki sacked Zuma as his deputy when state prosecutors began preparing charges against the charismatic and popular politician. But Judge Herbert Msimang said last week that the prosecution's case had "limped from one disaster to another," and was "anchored on unsound foundations." Msimang rejected the state's application for a further postponement and then struck the case off the roll.

Zuma, who earlier this year was acquitted of rape after a trial in which he admitted having unprotected sex with an hiv positive woman, was ecstatic. "I said I was innocent, I am still saying I am innocent, I will repeat it tomorrow," he told cheering supporters outside the Pietermaritzburg court building. "The judge has spoken and said those who charged me were speculating." Zuma draws most of his support from the left wing of the African National Congress (a.n.c.) and the country's trade unions, and he maintains that the charges against him were a political conspiracy by the right wing of the ruling party. Last week's dismissal boosts his political ambitions and opens the way for him to challenge for the a.n.c. leadership next year and then run for president when Mbeki steps down in 2009.

But the case is still not completely closed. Last week's judgment was not an acquittal and prosecutors could still try to reinstate the charges. Still, his opponents will need to remain wary of overplaying their hand. If the charges resurface "at a time politically inopportune for Zuma, the view of a conspiracy against him will be reinforced," says independent political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi. "If the state takes another bite at the matter, that might be met by a hostile public reaction." He's used several already, but Zuma may have a few political lives left yet.

• SIMON ROBINSON
• A corruption case against former South African deputy president Jacob Zuma is thrown out