JOHANNESBURG -- Deputy President Jacob Zuma's office yesterday night said rape and assault charges against his 24-year-old son had been withdrawn.

Mziwoxolo Zuma appeared in the Mtunzini Magistrate's Court in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.

The Natal Mercury newspaper reported yesterday that Zuma -- a University of Zululand student -- was granted bail of R800.

The case was postponed to December 19.

His court appearance follows an alleged attack on a woman at the university campus on Sunday.

"The two parties discussed the matter and resolved it amicably. The complainant then willingly withdrew the charges, saying she had acted emotionally rather than rationally in a lovers' tiff," Zuma's spokeswoman Mathula Magubane told Sapa.

A close-friend of Mziwoxolo Zuma said the two had been lovers for the past two years.

He said they clashed on Sunday after the respondent did not sleep at home on Saturday.

The friend said "I can tell you that the matter has now been settled. ... Even today (Friday) they were together," said the friend.

With acknowledgement to Sapa.