Durban - When Jacob Zuma stands in the dock on Wednesday morning, it will be the precursor to the criminal prosecution of the highest political figure for a serious crime in the history of South African law.

Two weeks ago, Zuma was still deputy president of South Africa.

But, a week earlier, his financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was sentenced in Durban High Court to an effective 15 years in prison in a case which paved the way for Zuma's appearance on Wednesday.

Judge Hilary Squires found in the Shaik trial that there was a "generally corrupt relationship" between the Durban businessman and the African National Congress politician.

Judge Squires also found that Shaik had been the intermediary when Thales, the French defence company, allegedly bribed Zuma in 2000 to protect them in the investigation into the the multibillion-rand South African arms deal.

Two charges of corruption

Although this still has to be detailed in the charge sheet which the Scorpions will be drawing up in the coming months, these allegations are the basis of the State's case against Zuma.

The skimpy charge sheet which advocate Anton Steynberg of the Scorpions will hand in to court on Wednesday will mention only two charges of corruption.

Zuma, who has maintained his innocence for the past two years, will not be asked to plead.

Although the court proceedings against Zuma do not promise any surprises, indications are that the high political drama which accompanied the allegations against him for several years, is not yet over.

As a sign of the swell of support for Zuma at grassroots level in KwaZulu-Natal in recent weeks, Cosatu provincial secretary Zet Luzipho expects more than 1 000 people to turn up at court on Wednesday to show their solidarity with the beleaguered politician.

Cosatu, the SA Communist Party and the ANC Youth League in the province also appealed to people to support Zuma by taking part in a vigil on Tuesday night outside the magistrate's court.

Various sources have suggested that a political motive lay hidden behind the allegations against Zuma.

Case not strong enough

Zuma's supporters take exception to the former director of public prosecution advocate Bulelani Ngcuka's statement in 2003 that there was a "prima facie" case against Zuma.

However, he was not prosecuted with Shaik because, at that stage, the case had not been strong enough.

In another development, charges of theft in terms of information legislation were withdrawn against Shaik in Durban regional court on Tuesday. These charges related to confidential cabinet minutes, which the Scorpions found among the businessman's documents during a raid on his office and home, relating to South Africa's arms purchases.

With acknowledgements to Dries Liebenberg and the Beeld.