ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni whose fraud conviction for failing to declare (to parliament) a discount for a Mercedes-Benz SUV organised by one of the bidders in the multimillion-rand arms deal, caught up with him recently. He started serving his four-year jail sentence on August 24.

Inside the court legal heavyweights Wim Trengove SC will present the state's reasons for requesting a postponement of the trial until early next year; while Kemp J Kemp SC and Kessie Naidu SC will present the case for Zuma and Thint, with all three senior counsel flanked by their supporting teams.

Of major interest to the public will be the question that has been raised by Zuma's defence as to whether Mbeki will or should be called to the witness stand as one of the only people who can clarify if there was corruption in the arms deal, suggestions that leading officials have plotted Zuma's downfall in a bid to thwart his political ambitions and whether or not Zuma is deemed to be given a fair trial.

The spotlight during legal argument presented on behalf of Thint Holdings SA (the local arm of French-based arms manufacturer Thales) and its Managing Director, Pierre Moynot, is likely to fall on the role played by former justice minister, Penuell Maduna, in dealings with Thint, as well as allegations that the National Prosecuting Authority tried to cut a deal with Thales/Thint before the trial of Zuma's former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, using businessman, Tony Georgiades (the ex-husband of former SA president F W de Klerk's wife, Elita) as an emissary.

Ready

The state will present counter-arguments to show that the dealings of all top officials have been above board *1; that there have been no unreasonable delays in bringing Zuma and his co-accused to trial and arguing that the prosecution cannot be held hostage to Zuma's ambitions to stand for high office.

The state, in the heads of argument filed with the court last week, gave an undertaking to be ready for trial early next year and provide the defence with a revised indictment detailing the charges facing the accused by October 15.

Motorists have been warned that they will have to find alternative routes in the city centre for the duration of the trial

Langalibalele (Longmarket) Street will be closed from Peter Kerchhoff (Chapel) Street through to Boshoff Street. Boshoff Street will be closed from Langalibalele Street to Pietermaritz Street and Pietermaritz Street from Chief Albert Luthuli Street (Commercial Road) to Boshoff Street.

The closures became effective last night and will remain in place throughout the trial.

With acknowledgements to The Mercury.