Johannesburg - There was no romantic or sexual relationship between former South African deputy president Jacob Zuma and the woman who has charged him with rape, says a source close to the case.

"There was definitely no relationship. He (Zuma) only said that because it is his only possible defence. He can't say anything else about it," said Beeld newspaper's source.

Zuma was formally charged in Johannesburg regional court on Tuesday with rape and the details of the State's case against the fired deputy president appeared in the media.

The woman claimed Zuma had invited her to spend the night at his house in Forest Town and later that night - after he had wanted to massage her and she had refused - he raped her.

Zuma indicated that he would plead not guilty to the charge.

The woman said on Wednesday she would not talk to the media at present.

The names of several police officers, three medical doctors, a cabinet minister and several of her woman friends appear on the State's preliminary list of witnesses.

Two high-profile witnesses

Beeld learned that two of the women on the witness list were sisters. They had not yet made affidavits.

Both the two high-profile witnesses on the list, Ronnie Kasrils and Dr Zweli Mkhize, refused to comment on Wednesday about the nature of their testimony against Zuma.

Lorna Daniels, spokesperson for the minister of intelligence, said on Wednesday that Kasrils did not want to say anything about his involvement in the case.

The name of KwaZulu-Natal MEC for finance Mkhize was a shock for many as he had always been seen as one of Zuma's confidants.

Claims had been made earlier that he had arranged a meeting with the woman and her mother to discuss the rape case.

Mkhize denied he had intervened, saying he only had bought an air ticket for the woman's mother, a family friend, to fly to Johannesburg to attend to "personal matters".

Beeld reported previously that the woman's mother had originally tried to persuade her to withdraw the charge against Zuma, but changed her mind later.

Meanwhile, the national prosecuting authority (NPA) issued a statement on Wednesday denying that the media had been kept out of the courtroom when Zuma appeared on Tuesday.

'Minimal disruption'

NPA spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said Zuma's appearance was held at 08:00 to cause "minimal disruption" to court procedures.

The rape trial will be heard by a judge in Johannesburg High Court because the NPA's policy provides that "where the community's interest or the administration of justice" justifies it, the case may be heard in a High Court. Rape cases involving adults usually are tried in regional courts.

Nkosi also defended the decision of the police and the NPA not to arrest Zuma, saying that this could be done in cases where there was no risk that a suspect would flee.

With acknowledegments to Mandy Rossouw, Adriaan Basson and News24.