Cape Town - The shadow of the Schabir Shaik trial will follow deputy president Jacob Zuma into parliament on Wednesday, when he will face questions arising from the trial.

Shaik, Zuma's financial adviser, is facing charges of corruption and fraud in Durban High Court arising from his dealings with Zuma.

Democratic Alliance MP Raenette Taljaard has submitted a question that second-guesses two of Zuma's earlier parliamentary statements.

The first part of her question is whether he would reconsider his answer of March 13 2003 about meetings with arms dealer Alain Thétard.

If not, she asks why not.

If he answers yes, she wants details about when he met Thétard and what they discussed.

This part of Taljaard's question refers to a rather-controversial answer from Zuma when she asked him if he met Thétard on March 11 2000 or on any other "specified" dates.

Zuma answered that he did not meet Thétard on March 11 2000, and that he met so many people while he was MEC for economic affairs in KwaZulu-Natal that he could not remember all of them.

He said that Thétard could have been part of a delegation from French arms dealer Thomson-CSF.

It has since been mentioned as common cause by the State and Shaik's legal team in the Durban trial that a meeting took place at which Shaik, Zuma and Thétard were present on March 10 - a day earlier than Taljaard's inquiry - in Durban.

The second part of the question that Taljaard will put to Zuma tomorrow is potentially more damaging.

She will ask Zuma if he, in light of the KPMG forensic report submitted in the Shaik trial, stands by his statement to the parliamentary ethics committee that the payments he received from Shaik were interest-bearing loans.

If he says no, he will be asked why not.

If he answers yes, he will be asked to provide the correct details of these payments.

Parliament and the presidency have used a very strict enforcement of the sub judice rule to date to prevent any discussion arising from a court battle.

But, Zuma's answer to this sticky question will nevertheless be anticipated with much attention in political circles.

With acknowledgements to Jan-Jan Joubert, Iaine Harper and the Beeld.