Durban - Although considered high risk, deputy president Jacob Zuma was accepted as an Absa client because of his position, the Durban High Court heard on Thursday.

Also considered high risk, Durban businessman Schabir Shaik was accepted as a client because of his relationship with Zuma and because he would approve all Zuma's investments as his adviser, Absa private bank's John Dwyer testified.

He said the bank had no option but to accept both of them, because if either was rebuffed it could have had negative implications for Absa, which managed several government-related accounts.

According to a document before the court, Shaik and Zuma were accepted "bearing in mind the sensitive political nature of the two clients".

Dwyer said he used the term political in a broad sense. What he meant was that Absa did not want to jeopardise the relationship, where offence caused to one might have affected the other.

At the time of his application to become a client of the bank in 2001, Zuma was more than R10 000 overdrawn. Shaik was overdrawn 15 times in 12 months.

On his application form, Zuma told Absa he expected to receive a pension of R5m by 2004, said Dwyer, the state's second witness for Thursday.

Dwyer said although Zuma had no assets or vast sums for them to manage, his potential R5m was the "clinching factor" for accepting him. Shaik had told the bank he a net asset value of R7.2m.

Several documents relating to Zuma and Shaik's application to the bank are in the court's possession.

Dwyer said Shaik's application form also stated he had power of attorney for Zuma in all financial matters.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and News24.