'We are dedicated to Zuma'
Pietermaritzburg - Hundreds of people huddled around fires in Freedom Square outside the Pietermaritzburg High Court early on Monday morning, waiting to see their hero Jacob Zuma.
They had spent the night outside the court in a vigil in support of the former deputy president, who will face corruption charges later in the day.
"We are dedicated to Jacob Zuma," said a woman warmly wrapped in a thick blanket.
Some supporters tore branches of trees to fuel the campfires.
A tent has been erected outside the court where VIPs were expected to sit. A large sound system was being set up and tested alongside the tent.
"We are hoping Jacob Zuma will give a speech," said a sound man.
Zuma supporters packed the square on Sunday night, singing and chanting as they prepared to hold their night vigil.
About a third of the crowd stayed through the night.
Numbers were expected to grow again during the morning as several buses have been laid on to ferry people from rural areas.
Zuma faces two charges of corruption.
His co-accused, the arms company Thint, is accused of having offered him a bribe of R500 000 a year in exchange for his silence during a probe into the country's multi-billion rand arms deal.
There was still no formal word early on Monday on who will preside over the trial. Judge Herbert Msimang is being seen as the most likely candidate.
News source: www.news24.co.za
Posted by: www.SouthAfrica-CarHire.com
