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 JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - The governing African National Congress on Wednesday accepted the withdrawal of its popular deputy president from leadership duties for the duration of his rape trial.
Jacob Zuma, who was dismissed as President Thabo Mbeki's deputy over corruption allegations but remains the party's No. 2, made a brief court appearance Tuesday on charges he raped a 31-year-old family friend at his Johannesburg home. Trial was set for Feb. 13.
The case could destroy the political career of a man who once seemed certain to succeed Mbeki at the helm of Africa's economic and diplomatic powerhouse when the president completes his second and final term in 2009.
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