AS the clock ticks towards midnight, the deadline for police to arrest former president Jacob Zuma, there are few supporters outside his home in Nkandla.
Contrary to scenes at the weekend where scores of people descended to Nkandla including top ANC leaders, very few people were still outside Zuma's home by 7pm on Wednesday.
Zuma's son Edward and former Ukhozi FM presenter Ngizwe Mchunu were the only prominent faces present. The number of U,honto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKVA) members manning the gate had shrunk drastically compared to previous days.
Radical Economic Transformation leader in the province and staunch Zuma supporter Nkosentsha Shezi told the Daily News that it was untrue that they had dumped Zuma at the last minute.
As far as he knew, police were waiting for the Pietermaritzburg High Court decision on Friday before arresting him.
He said all Zuma's supporters would descend on Nkandla on Friday.
Throngs of journalists have been camped outside Zuma’s home since Wednesday morning in anticipation of his possible arrest.
Unconfirmed reports were that scores of police vehicles were spotted in Empangeni, about 120km away from Nkandla, and that a helicopter would be used to take Zuma to Westville Prison in Durban.
Police Minister Bheki Cele had earlier in the day written to Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo asking him to grant him permission to delay the arrest until the Pietermaritzburg High Court handed down its decision on whether or not it would stay Zuma's arrest warrant until the outcome at the Constitutional Court on July 12.
Political analyst Bheki Mngomezulu said Cele and national police commissioner Khehla Sitole risked arrest themselves if they failed to act against Zuma on Wednesday night because they would be charged for contempt of court.
Daily News