By Jeremy Michaels, Charles Phahlane and Makhudu Sefara
The government is prepared to ride out the storm surrounding Deputy President Jacob Zuma and, it seems, will neither let him go nor take action against him.
In its first response since allegations of corruption emerged against Zuma, the government said acting against him on the basis of allegations would be wrong.
"If government allowed a precedent to be set whereby allegations against senior leaders lead to their resignation, then we would allow spanners to be thrown anyhow, anytime, into government works," said government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe.
He said firing Zuma or allowing him to resign would also be wrong "for reasons of trust".
"Even mere trust in an individual in the deputy president's position should guide us to take him at his word," he said.
The nucleus of allegations faced by Zuma, contained in Durban businessman Schabir Shaik's charge sheet, is that the deputy president received R1,2-million from Shaik's Nkobi group of companies.
Zuma allegedly agreed to R1-million in bribes from a French company that benefited from the arms deal. Shaik is accused of corruption, fraud and tax evasion.
Netshitenzhe said the courts should decide whether payments made by Shaik or his companies on behalf of Zuma were indeed gifts. And if they were, parliament would then have to decide if these had been declared in the register of members' interests. The African National Congress has dismissed calls for Zuma's head and reiterated that no action would be taken.
Said ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama: "The lynch mentality that has gripped the opposition politics is neither healthy nor desirable for our democracy.
"The ANC reiterates its position that until such time a court of law or competent institution of justice passes a guilty verdict, the deputy president will not be subjected to any disciplinary process or be asked to relinquish his position."
The ANC conceded, however, that the scandal around Zuma was an embarrassment to the country.
The deputy president has been under intense pressure to step down after the state charged Shaik - Zuma's financial adviser - earlier this week.
The ANC also launched a tirade against the South African Broadcasting Corporation for suggesting that the party may have benefited from the arms deal. "The ANC is dismayed by suggestions that it stands to benefit from the arms deal, and we insist that there could be nothing further from the truth.
"We take particular exception to malicious reports by SABC TV news and radio which suggest that the ANC may have been party to illegal activities."
In its charge sheet against Shaik, the state alleges that the ANC has a 10 percent stake in Nkobi Investments - Shaik's company - that has benefited from a contract to supply the government with Corvettes.
While the party would investigate the allegations, it would "not comment any further on matters that are sub judice".
"It is our intention to take appropriate action to ensure that the name of the ANC is not dragged through the mud by mischievous and malicious characters," the ANC said.
In its case against Shaik, the prosecution also laid bare the dire state of the deputy president's financial affairs, stating in court documents that "Zuma was in financial difficulties" and that since 1995 he received at least R1 161 562 from Shaik and Nkobi Group.
Painting a picture of Zuma's indebtedness to Shaik and his companies, the state charges that its "synopsis constitutes a general corrupt relationship between Zuma and Shaik whereby (Shaik and his companies) paid Zuma to further their private business interests at the cost of funding Zuma's excessive expenditure".
Zuma has insisted on his innocence and has given no indication of stepping down.
Meanwhile, the Freedom Front has called for an independent commission of three appeal judges to investigate the new arms deal allegations. FF leader Pieter Mulder said the arms deal had already been investigated by parliament, the auditor-general, the public protector and the Scorpions without any of them reaching satisfactory answers.
The new suggestion that the ANC has a stake in the arms deal worth at least R4,5-million could only be resolved by an independent commission.
Mulder said the Democratic Alliance's suggestion of a multiparty committee was unworkable because the ANC would have a majority and the committee would end up with a minority and majority report.
He said Advocate Willem Heath, who resigned as a judge after his exclusion from a joint investigation team, should be brought back to investigate the matter. "Only an independent investigation can solve the problem," Mulder said.