'Mbeki's Mauritius trip not related to Zuma trial'

Mbeki will travel to Mauritius today to attend the country's 40th independence celebrations

President Thabo Mbeki will travel to Mauritius today to attend the island's 40th independence celebrations. Mbeki will also meet with the Mauritius' chief justice. However the South African government says the meeting is not related to the ANC President Jacob Zuma's corruption case.

Zuma is waiting for word from the Attorney-General of Mauritius. Zuma has applied to stop the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) from handing over seized documents.

Meanwhile Zuma is to appear in the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg today. Zuma, his attorney Michael Hulley and the French Arms manufacturer, Thint, are applying for leave to appeal against earlier court rulings. These relate to the NPA's request to get documents from Mauritius and search and seizure raids in 2005 at his premises and those of Hulley and Thint.

His legal team will argue that his constitutional rights were violated when the Scorpions raided his home as well as his attorney's offices back in 2005. Both Zuma and his attorney claim that their constitutional right to privacy, dignity, property and a fair trial were violated by the raids. Zuma is trying to prevent the NPA from using this evidence against him.