Jacob Zuma has emerged unscathed from the Supreme Court of Appeal's dismissal of Schabir Shaik's appeal against his corruption convictions, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) said on Wednesday.

"The Supreme Court of Appeal passed the unequivocal message that the person found guilty was Mr Shaik and not (ANC deputy president) Zuma," ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula told a news conference in Johannesburg.

He said Judge Craig Howie's ruling on Monday did nothing to enhance or diminish the possibility of the National Prosecuting Authority recharging Zuma for corruption.

"Any re-charging of Zuma would constitute a witchhunt, a fishing expedition that would effectively perpetuate the NPA's continued leap from one disaster to another."

'Prejudice Zuma's political standing' "It would achieve nothing except prejudice Zuma's political standing," he said.

Mbalula said Judge Hilary Squires made a "sensational pronouncement" when he said there was a "generally corrupt relationship" between Shaik and former Deputy President Zuma when he found Shaik guilty on corruption charges.

He questioned why, if there was a link between Shaik and Zuma, the two had never been charged together.

Zuma and French arms company Thint were charged with corruption after Shaik's conviction of corruption in the Durban High Court in 2005. Judge Herbert Msimang however threw Zuma's case out of the Pietermaritzburg High Court in September.

The Young Communist League added its voice to that of the ANCYL.

The league's Castro Ngobese said at the same news conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday that if Zuma were to be recharged President Thabo Mbeki had to face charges as well over his role in the country's arms deal.

"We think he (Mbeki) has a case to answer," he said. 

With acknowledgement to Sapa and Independent On Line.