Johannesburg: Deputy President Jacob Zuma takes over the reins as acting president today, while the two men who hold his fate in their hands fly to South America. The presidency confirmed yesterday that the country's embattled second-in-command would be acting president this week.

President Thabo Mbeki leaves for a state visit to Chile tonight and Zuma will take over the country's reins for three days. It emerged last night that National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli will accompany the president to Chile.

Pikoli is the man who holds Zuma's fate in his hands and will have to decide whether to prosecute the deputy president for corruption.

The NPA did not rule out that Pikoli might discuss the Shaik judgment and its implications for Zuma.

"Even if they did discuss that there's nothing untoward about it," NPA spokesman Makhosini Nkosi.

"There was nothing unusual about the NPA accompanying the president and prosecuting officials could be part of the legal team, for example, if extradition issues were to be discussed, he said.

However, a recent reply to a question in parliament in which the president was asked to specify which officials accompanied him on local and overseas trips on his private jet, has never shown a senior NPA officials as part of the president's delegation.

Presidential spokesman Bheki Khumalo earlier said protocol dictated that Zuma would be acting president in Mbeki's absence.

"He will be acting president as is always the norm."

Asked what message this would send given that Zuma was in the middle of a corruption storm following the conviction of his former financial adviser Shabir Shaik, Khumalo said: "I can't say anything beyond that."

Mbeki and Zuma had also not spoken about the implication of the Durban High Court judgment, he said.

"As far as I am concerned, they have not spoken this weekend.

However, the pair will face each other for the first time today at the ANC's national working committee (NWC) meeting.

Mbeki will attend the meeting before leaving for Chile, Khumalo said.

However, given recent statements by the ANC and the government stressing that Zuma had not been on trial, and that he was not charged, the NWC's position is unlikely to change today. An NWC member said the Zuma matter might not even be on the agenda.

"There could be reflections but I don't think the NWC will spend too much time on this," the NWC member said.

Outside the ANC formal structures, some officials continue to whisper about the need for Zuma to step down, although the party remains divided over the issue.

Zuma's supporters again rallied around the deputy president yesterday, with the ANC Youth League calling a press conference to publicise its continued backing.

Zuma is remaining silent for now - allowing his supporters to do the legwork in terms of strategy.

Zuma's supporters, for example, have targeted Judge Hilary Squires in an attempt to discredit the judgment.

The ANCYL attacked the former Rhodesian minister of justice, saying his judgment was contradictory.

The ANCYL also criticised those within the ANC who believe Zuma should go.

Meanwhile, Cosatu's affiliate unions will also meet today to discuss the political implications of the Shaik verdict.

The SA Communist Party and its Young Communist League yesterday reiterated their defence of Zuma, saying he has not been charged.

Meanwhile, the DA's federal congress met this weekend and repeated its view that Zuma should either be fired or quit.

With acknowledgement to Estelle Ellis and the Cape Times.