Jacob Zuma's love-child, Edward, will come under scrutiny again when charges of rape and assault against him that were dropped five years ago will be reviewed by the KwaZulu-Natal Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) - but only after the police find the lost case docket.

A prosecutor in the DPP's office confirmed that the case could be re-opened after it had been reviewed, but added that "we can't do anything until we have actually seen the docket".

"Yes, we want to have another look at the case. But police are still looking for the docket. Until they have found it, our hands are tied," the prosecutor said.

Last month, Edward became the centre of attention at his father's own Johannesburg High Court rape trial, when it was revealed that he was the son of Zuma senior and Minah Shongwe. Minah, in turn, is the sister of Transvaal Deputy Judge President Jeremiah Shongwe, who recused himself from Zuma senior's trial because of the connection.

In 2000 Edward, who was 24 and a second-year law student at the time, was arrested for allegedly raping and assaulting a 17-year-old girl.

But before the trial could be heard in the Mtunzini Magistrate's Court near Empangeni, the girl withdrew the charges, saying she would not be able to stand the trauma of a trial. A few days later the prosecution announced that it was withdrawing the charge on instruction from the regional prosecuting authority.

It later emerged that the Zuma senior's personal adviser, Schabir Shaik, had allegedly intervened and the girl was then paid off to change her story. The rape complainant was alleged to have received thousands of rands each month.

According to Noseweek magazine, the complainant had been put on the payroll of one of Shaik's companies, Kobitech Transport Services.

Shaik vehemently denied that he had had any involvement in an alleged pay-off.

But in another interview, the then-Kobitech managing director, Sabeer Sheik-Ibrahim, said: "She used to come about once a month to collect her money. I saw her myself there about two times. She had been receiving about R7 000 a month."

With acknowledgement to Kashiefa Ajam and The Independent on Saturday.