President Thabo Mbeki will tell the public what his plans are for Deputy President Jacob Zuma when he returns from a state visit to Chile, the government said on Monday.

"The president has indicated that as soon as practicable after his return from the state visit to Chile, he will communicate to the public any decisions that he will have taken on the matter," government communications chief Joel Netshitenzhe said.

He said Zuma had been informed accordingly.

He confirmed that Mbeki had received a copy of court judgment which found Zuma's financial adviser Schabir Shaik guilty of fraud and corruption.

Last week Judge Hilary Squires, who found Shaik guilty, also found that the relationship between Zuma and Shaik was "generally corrupt".

The judgment, delivered in the Durban High Court, has sparked numerous calls from opposition parties and others for Zuma to quit or to be fired.

Netshitenzhe said Mbeki was studying the judgment to form a comprehensive view on its legal and political implications for the government.

"Further, the president is awaiting the completion of the legal process in the Durban case before determining the course of action to follow," he said.

"In the meantime, President Thabo Mbeki wishes to reiterate the position of government that we accept the outcome of the trial, recognising that there may be an appeal to higher courts.

"The president and government do not only respect the rule of law, but we are fully cognisant of the constitutional obligation on the part of the president to act as the custodian of this principle."

Both Mbeki and Zuma attended a weekly African National Congress national working committee meeting at the ANC's headquarters in Johannesburg on Monday.

ANC spokesman Smuts Ngonyama told reporters outside the building the party would not brief the media until it had completed studying the judgment.

However the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal and its alliance partners expressed their "unqualified confidence" in Zuma.

ANC provincial spokesman Mtholephi Mthimkhulu said: "He is one of the most tested and dedicated cadres of the liberation movement who spent most of his life in the struggle for freedom. His unquestioned credentials led to his unanimous election as the ANC deputy president..."

Reporters, photographers and cameramen waited outside the Johannesburg building for hours on Monday afternoon hoping to get an interview with Zuma.

The city's metro police threatened to arrest reporters if they crossed a tape barrier, put up to stop them from crossing the road to the building.

Reporters attempting to find out why the tape -- running along the pavement across the street from the building -- had been put up, were told not to cross the road.

However, passers-by could move freely and hawkers did business as usual.

Metro police said their superiors had instructed them to put up the barricade would not comment further.

Their spokesman Wayne Minnaar could not be reached for comment.

Earlier a member of the Presidential Protection Unit shoved a cameraman's camera into his face when he attempted to film the exterior of Luthuli House, the ANC's headquarters.

Reporters asked Ngonyama to speak to the police and security guards, as they felt like they were being treated like "dogs".

Ngonyama said he would take the matter up with the security officials.

The meeting was closed to reporters.

Earlier on Monday, his spokeswoman Lakela Kaunda told Sapa from Pretoria: "The deputy president is fine. We are going to have a normal working day today (Monday)."

Kaunda said there was not really anything new about the furore about the ties between Zuma and Shaik.

"This has now been going on for four years."

Asked if Zuma intended to respond to the outcome of the Shaik trial, she said no media briefings had been planned for the day.

"As for the rest of the week, we will send you a diary of his activities later," Kaunda said.

Presidential spokesman Bheki Khumalo confirmed on Monday that Zuma would act as president while Mbeki was away *1.

Mbeki was expected to return home by Thursday night.

With acknowledgement to Amy Musgrave and Sapa.

*1 Any chance of an early pardon?