S Africa unions seek Zuma return

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South Africa's trade union federation has called for Jacob Zuma to be reinstated as deputy president.

Mr Zuma was sacked last year after being accused of corruption but his trial collapsed on Wednesday.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions, Cosatu, passed a resolution saying Mr Zuma had been "maliciously prosecuted".

Mr Zuma is popular among some poor South Africans, who criticise President Thabo Mbeki's economic policies.

Unless more legal action is brought against him, he is a strong contender to succeed Mr Mbeki when he steps down in 2009.

Correspondents say Mr Mbeki is unlikely to comply with the resolution, even though Cosatu is part of the ruling alliance.

Judge Herbert Msimang threw out the case after the prosecution said it was not ready to proceed, setting off celebrations by Mr Zuma's supporters.

Mr Zuma was sacked last year in connection with a 1999 arms deal. He was cleared of rape earlier this year.

The prosecution team blames the defence for delaying tactics and maintains it has a strong and winnable case and has not ruled out going back to court.

Politics

Mr Zuma was sacked when his financial adviser Schabir Shaik was found guilty of corruption in a case that arose from a government arms procurement deal in the 1990s.

The judge said there had been a generally corrupt relationship between Mr Shaik and Mr Zuma, and evidence given in Mr Shaik's trial prompted the National Prosecuting Authority to start investigating charges against Mr Zuma.

Zuma's supporters have appeared during his court appearancesAlthough the investigation prompted President Mbeki to relieve Mr Zuma of his duties as deputy president, he kept his position as deputy leader of the ANC.

Late last year, Mr Zuma was accused of rape by the daughter of a family friend, giving rise to a separate trial, in which he was acquitted.

Mr Zuma always maintained that the cases were aimed at sidelining him politically.

Unless another case is brought against him, Mr Zuma will be free to contest next year for the leadership of the governing African National Congress Party, ANC.

Should he take that position he would be a firm favourite to succeed Thabo Mbeki as the next South African president in 2009.

The former head of the African National Congress's military wing has considerable support from the influential trade unions and the Communist Party.

He is seen as less aloof than Mr Mbeki and likely to drop some of the ANC's more conservative economic policies.