Zuma serious about arms probe: activist

President Jacob Zuma's choice of three judges to chair an inquiry into the arms deal indicates he is serious about the matter, arms deal activist Terry Crawford-Browne said on Monday.

Zuma announced on Monday that Supreme Court of Appeal Judge, Willie Seriti, would chair the commission of inquiry.

"The fact that he has appointed a Supreme Court judge indicates he [Zuma] is serious," Crawford-Browne said.

Deputy Judge President of the High Court in Pretoria, Willem van der Merwe, and Judge Francis Legodi of the same court will make up the rest of the three-man commission.

This was to investigate allegations of wrongdoing in the Strategic Defence Procurement Packages, generally known as the "arms deal".

Van der Merwe had experience in the arms deal from a case in 2008 in which he granted an order to the Asset Forfeiture Unit.

The order was given to pursue an attempt to seize millions of rands --allegedly the proceeds of bribes from arms multinational BAE Systems --held offshore by arms-deal kingpin Fana Hlongwane.

Crawford-Browne previously took Zuma to the Constitutional Court in an attempt to force him to appoint a judicial commission of inquiry into the multi billion rand deal.

He said he would only consider dropping his case once Zuma announced the terms of reference for the inquiry.

"We will wait to see what the terms of reference are and how they are going to go about it," he said.

"For now it looks as though he is serious."

Crawford-Browne had asked court to direct the president to appoint an independent judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing in the Western Cape High Court in 2009.

It later transpired that the Western Cape High Court was the wrong forum to hear the matter.

An application was then brought in the Constitutional Court. The matter was set down for hearing on November 17.

Zuma himself faced several corruption charges related to the arms deal ahead of the Polokwane ANC national conference in 2007 where he became leader of the ruling party.

Judge Hilary Squires convicted Zuma's former financial adviser Schabir Shaik of bribery and corruption involving Zuma in 2005.

After a series of appeals, all of which failed, Shaik started a prison sentence in 2006. He was released on medical parole two years and four months later.

The National Prosecuting Authority dropped all counts against Zuma in April 2009 on technical grounds, shortly before he was elected president in general elections.

Zuma said the commission was expected to complete its work within two years.