Former deputy president in court over corruption scandal

Dismissed Deputy President Jacob Zuma, cheered on by hundreds of supporters and shielded by a massive security operation, appeared in court today on corruption charges involving his financial adviser and two French arms companies.

Zuma, who retains huge support among the rank and file of the African National Congress, made his third court appearance in a scandal that has divided the governing party and thrown open the question of who will succeed President Thabo Mbeki – once virtually certain to be Zuma.