 Jacob Zuma, now elected president of the ANC and ANC candidate for president in the South Africa at the 2009 election, was facing corruption charges in relation to a multi-billion rand arms deal with French manufacturer Thint.Zuma had previously been dismissed by Mbeki as South Africa's vice-president at the start of the arms deal trial.In 2008 a landmark ruling by high court judge Chris Nicholson found that the re-charging of Zuma by the National Prosecuting Authority was illegal and was unduly influenced by Mbeki due to political motives.