Cape Town - The ruling African National Congress (AMC) [sic] has reacted to the ongoing controversy over the position of deputy president Jacob Zuma on the internet, by warning against South Africans allowing the rule of law to be sacrificed to a lynch-mob mentality. But President Thabo Mbeki has retained his silence on the matter.

On its internet website the ruling party apologised that there would be no letter as usual on Friday from President Thabo Mbeki and instead ran a column which said: "This mob mentality follows the investigation of allegations against Deputy President Jacob Zuma by the Scorpions, and the announcement last weekend of their decision not to prosecute."

"Lynch-mob mentality does nothing for justice or clean government," it noted.

The ANC said further: "Throughout this process the ANC has steadfastly held the view that the law must take its course and that the relevant authorities must fully exercise their responsibility. It has held fast to the principle that a person must be presumed innocent until proven otherwise."

The Scorpions announced that they would not prosecute the deputy president following a flurry of allegations that he had accepted a bribe in connection with the arms deal through a French arms deal company associated with the multi-billion rand defence deal.

But the ANC noted: "The Deputy President, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, has co-operated fully with the investigation."

"Despite this unambiguous commitment to due legal process, and despite the fact that the allegations have not been tested in a court of law, opposition parties and many in the media have immersed themselves in a frenzy of savage political and personal attacks."

"The ANC reiterates its position that until such time a court of law or competent institution of justice passes a guilty verdict, the deputy president will not be subjected to any disciplinary process or be asked to relinquish his position."

"We must desist from the temptation to subvert due processes and pass judgment without evidence that has been tested in a court of law," it said. The party also denied any stake in a company of Zuma's financial adviser Schabir Shaik associated with the arms deal.

The party noted that earlier this week that opposition parties had seized on the indictment prepared in the case of Shaik "to further malign the deputy president and suggest the ANC may have been party to illegal activities through a company called Floryn Investments".

"These suggestions are false," said the party, noting communications head Smuts Ngonyama's statement: "We wish to state categorically that the ANC has no relationship with Floryn Investments, or with (Shaik's) Nkob Holdings for that matter."

Suggestions that the ANC may have benefited from the arms deal "are at best mischievous and at worst malicious", he said.

"We wish to emphasise that the ANC has never benefited from the arms deal, directly or indirectly, and any suggestions to the contrary are nothing more than slander aimed at undermining the integrity of the ANC," he said.

With acknowledgements to Donwald Pressly and News24.