The public prosecutor’s office will hold a news conference this afternoon to announce its decision regarding possible action against former deputy president Jacob Zuma, an official said.

"This will be the national director’s decision on Zuma," National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lucinda Moonieya said.

President Thabo Mebki sacked Zuma as his deputy last week after he was implicated in a high-profile corruption case involving his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik. Zuma has denied any wrongdoing.

Shaik, a friend of Zuma from the anti-apartheid struggle, was convicted earlier this month in the Durban High Court of fraud and two counts of corruption. The judge in the case found that the two had a "generally corrupt" relationship.

Shaik had been accused of trying to solicit a R500,000 a year bribe for Zuma from a French arms firm in return for protecting it from an investigation into a massive arms deal arranged by SA in the late 1990s.

The other corruption count charged that Shaik had paid Zuma R1.3m in bribes to induce Zuma to use his political influence to further Shaik’s business interests, while the fraud charge related to accounting for these payments.

The public prosecutor said in 2003 there was prima facie evidence against Zuma, but a court case would be unwinnable - though Shaik’s conviction may have changed this view.

Zuma has charged that he has been subjected to trial by media and describes the moves against him as political.

Shaik’s trial and Zuma’s subsequent dismissal have badly divided the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

The populist and earthy Zuma enjoys wide grassroots support in the ANC and is also the darling of the the party’s trade union and left-wing allies as well as its Youth League.

With acknowledgement to the Business Day.