The decision by the Scorpion's boss Bulelani Ngcuka not to prosecute Deputy President Jacob Zuma on allegations of corruption smacks of political pressure from the African National Congress, President Thabo Mbeki and his Cabinet, the United Democratic Movement said on Sunday.

Ngcuka on Saturday announced that Zuma would not be prosecuted over South Africa's multi-billion rand arms deal, despite indications that there may be a corruption case for him to answer to.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa told Sapa on Sunday: "It is clear that Zuma's saga is causing the ANC a lot of political damage especially in light of next year's general elections."

Holomisa said Ngcuka was confusing the public because he agreed that there was a bona fide case of corruption against Zuma.

"In a nutshell, he says to the public we will not prosecute Zuma, on the other hand he is telling us that the deputy president is corrupt.

"Bulelani has done a lot of damage to Zuma which will hang over his head for the next decade because we will view him as a corrupt official," Holomisa said.

The Deputy President has repeatedly rejected allegations that he tried to solicit a R500 000 bribe from Alain Thetard, the former Southern African head of French arms company Thomson CSF.

The prosecuting authority has probed claims for the past two years of corruption flowing from the Nkobi Group’s acquisition of shareholding in African Defence Systems (ADS), and Zuma's role therein.

Zuma's financial advisor Schabir Shaik was a director of the Nkobi group of companies, which had shares in Thomson CSF. Thomson, in turn, had shares in ADS.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and the Weekend Argus.