A successor to Tony Yengeni, who has resigned as chief whip pending his trial on corruption and other charges, is to be chosen by the African National Congress national working committee when it meets on Monday.

Yengeni appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. His trial is to begin in Pretoria in January.

He told a press conference on Thursday he would remain an MP. He said he had decided voluntarily to resign as chief whip.

He believed the allegations against him were part of a political witch-hunt, he said, adding he was innocent of the charges and would prove this in court.

'I don't see...who can manipulate that process'

The charges are corruption - alternatively fraud - perjury and forgery, and relate to his acquisition of a 4x4 through a company linked to the arms deal.

Of the arms acquisition process, Yengeni said: "I don't have any doubts. I have no sleepless nights. It was the best process. Most transparent and very professionally run.

"I don't see for the life of me how and who can manipulate that process."

Yengeni was flanked by Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, deputy chair of the ANC's 22-member watchdog political committee in parliament. Mapisa-Nqakula denied reports that the committee had recommended to the ANC national working committee that Yengeni resign.

Yengeni said he could not continue as chief whip of the majority party "with those kinds of charges hanging over my head".

'I'm going to take a big dive in salary'

"This decision is fair to the ANC and to my family. I shall now be better able to focus (on) preparing myself for the trial."

Asked if his resignation meant a salary cut, Yengeni said: "I'm going to take a big dive in salary."

According to parliament's salary grading system, the chief whip of the majority party receives a minimum package of R396 843 a year, as opposed to R302 280 for an ordinary MP.

Yengeni said he had not spoken in a long time to his co-accused Michael Woerfel, suspended managing director of European Aeronautics Defence System (Eads) in South Africa.

If the ANC decided to appoint him to another position at some stage, that would be its decision, he said. Long before the allegations against him surfaced he had asked the ANC leadership to remove him from parliament.

"That was just after the 1999 elections. I thought I wanted to do something outside parliament, but the leadership insisted I stay. But, with the events of (Wednesday), I believe it is no longer possible."

Justice Minister Penuell Maduna, moving quickly to try to salvage the integrity of the arms procurement process, has said Yengeni's prosecution is not a sign that the deal is corrupt. 

With acknowledgment to Sapa, Cape Times and Independent Online.