President Thabo Mbeki has asked the Secretary of Parliament to arrange for him to address a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament on Tuesday, his office said on Monday.

Spokesman Bheki Khumalo told Sapa: "The president will deal with issues arising from the judgment of Judge Hilary Squires."

Last week, Squires sentenced Deputy President Jacob Zuma's former financial adviser Schabir Shaik to 15 years in prison, in effect, after convicting him on two charges of corruption and one of fraud.

In passing judgment, Squires questioned Zuma's involvement with Shaik and described their relationship as "generally corrupt".

There has been much speculation in the media as to how Mbeki will approach the delicate topic of Zuma's alleged involvement in corruption.

Zuma has maintained his innocence and pointed out that he has not been convicted of any crime.

According media speculation, Zuma has refused to resign, leaving the president with tough choices. Mbeki was expected to put an end to the speculation during Tuesday's joint sitting.

Khumalo said on Monday afternoon: "The paperwork is being finalised for the president to address a joint sitting."

Kasper Handick, the secretary to the National Assembly, confirmed the president had asked to address the joint sitting at 2pm.

"All we are told is that the president wants to deliver a message to Parliament," he told Sapa.

Opposition parties have repeatedly called for Zuma to step down or to be fired by the president whose apparent delay in taking on the matter was said to aggravate the situation.

Zuma has, however, received strong support from the Congress of SA Trade Unions, the African National Congress Youth League, ANC Women's League and the Young Communist League.

Always seen as Mbeki's trusted right hand man, Zuma was again expected to act as president on Tuesday when Mbeki left the country to visit Qatar.

This now hangs in the balance and will be determined by what Mbeki says in his address to Tuesday's sitting.

His decision could have far reaching implications not least of which a cabinet reshuffle.

Delivering judgment on June 2 Squires said Zuma must have been aware of bribes sought by Schabir Shaik on his behalf during the acquisition of arms from French companies by South Africa.

Questioning arguments that Zuma publicly encouraged Parliament's standing committee on public accounts inquiry into the arms deal when allegations implicating Zuma first surfaced, Squires said a "far more reliable guide" to Zuma's feelings could be found in a letter he signed and dated 19 January 2001, to the committee's then chairman Gavin Woods.

In it, Zuma informed Woods of a presidential decision not to issue the proclamation required for the investigation Woods had sought into the arms deal.

With acknowledgement to Sapa.