S Africa faces threat of deeper crisis over Zuma

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 14 (Reuters) The youth wing of South Africa's ruling ANC said today any move to press new graft charges against former Deputy President Jacob Zuma could trigger mass protests.

Zuma, a widely popular politician, was charged with corruption last year, but the case collapsed after lengthy delays and prosecutors have said they may file fresh charges.

Supporters of Zuma like the youth league have long said he is the victim of a political conspiracy after his former aide, Schabir Shaik, was convicted of graft and fraud last year.

The Zuma camp got fresh ammunition after an unusual published statement last week by a judge who denied having found that Zuma had a corrupt relationship with Shaik.

Zuma, once seen as successor to President Thabo Mbeki, was not charged with Shaik. But based on the ruling of High Court Judge Hilary Squires, Mbeki sacked him as his deputy and Zuma was subsequently charged with graft.

ANC Youth League president Fikile Mbalula said the denial by Squires that he had ruled that Shaik and Zuma had a ''generally corrupt relationship'' had ''created incalculable doubts about the independence of the judiciary''.

Asked if the League supported a threat by powerful labour federation COSATU to mobilise mass protests if prosecutors were to press new charges against Zuma, Mbalula said: ''The masses don't need to be mobilised, they always stand against injustice. If they see any injustice they will react ...

and we will be an integral part of those people who say no to injustice.'' The African National Congress is still struggling to heal deep rifts in the ruling party created by Zuma's sacking. Zuma and his leftist supporters in the ANC's labour, youth and communist allies allege a political plot to prevent Zuma from becoming president.

Zuma says he is a victim of trial by media.

SHOCK STATEMENT As prosecutors weighed whether to press fresh charges against Zuma, Squires denied he had said in his ruling that Shaik and Zuma had a ''generally corrupt relationship'' a phrase consistently attributed to him in media reports.

''I can find no mention of my having made any such comment,'' Squires said in a letter published in The Weekender newspaper.

His statement could create a crisis of confidence in South Africa's judiciary, according to some analysts.

It came hard on the heels of the Supreme Court of Appeal upholding the 15-year jail sentence Squires handed Shaik.

The Justice Ministry today dismissed calls by COSATU for the resignation of all five supreme court judges, who in their ruling referred to the ''generally corrupt relationship'' phrase -- again attributing it to Squires.

The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has said the statement by Squires would have no effect on any future decision to bring new charges against Zuma, but analysts were divided on the legal and political implications of such a move.

''I really think that a lot of criticism is going to be levelled against our justice system,'' said political analyst Cliff Saunders.

''And all the argument that the press is biased against Zuma is going to be given more credence.'' Reuters SY VV2302