About 85 percent of South Africans in a recent survey agreed with Schabir Shaik's guilty verdict.

Along racial lines, 80 percent of Africans concurred, 94 percent of whites and 87 percent of coloureds and Indians.

Overall, eight per cent of those approached disagreed with the guilty verdict while a another eight per cent did not know.

According to a marketing insights company called RS, 300 South Africans in metropolitan areas who had access to landline telephones were questioned in June.

They were asked about their attitudes on Shaik, his trial verdict, his part in the downfall of former deputy president Jacob Zuma, and on alleged corruption in the arms deal.

The results of the poll were released ahead of Shaik's return to the Durban High Court on Tuesday for leave to appeal against his conviction and 15 year jail term for fraud and corruption.

Forty-six percent of the sample of 300 adults believed Shaik's sentence was too severe (Africans 48 percent, whites 32 percent, coloureds and Indians 54 percent).

RS director Neil Higgs said: "Durban people are more likely to feel sympathy for Schabir Shaik. Males (51 percent) are more likely to feel the sentence is too severe than are females (40 percent)."

He said 61 percent of people felt Shaik was indeed responsible for Zuma's downfall (no differences by race group), 31 percent disagreed and eight percent did not know.

Eighteen percent of those questioned believed there was corruption in the arms deal, 65 percent disagreed and 18 percent did not know.

They way President Thabo Mbeki handled the Zuma affair apparently drew strong approval.

Said Higgs: "The president's approval rating has shot up to a remarkable degree in the last few months, some of which must be attributable to his handling of the former deputy president."

In January, Mbeki's approval rating was 48 percent, among a sample of 659 adults who had access to a landline telephone in metropolitan areas.

The study RS conducted just five days after Mbeki fired Zuma gave him an approval rating of 83 percent across all races.

With acknowledgement to Sapa.