An accusation that Cape Judge President John Hlophe had attempted to influence a Constitutional Court decision in a case involving Jacob Zuma and a French arms manufacturing company was the "biggest test yet" to the independence of South Africa's judiciary, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille said on Saturday.

Zille spoke to media in Durban before she began distributing gifts to refugees seeking shelter in Durban's Emmanuel Cathedral following the recent xenophobic attacks.

"When a full bench of the Constitutional Court (Concourt) makes such allegations it is most serious. This (a complaint by Concourt) would never happen without evidence.

"This is the biggest test yet for the judiciary's independence. The entire credibility of the Western Cape's legal profession is being brought into question," she said.

A Concourt statement released on Friday afternoon said that a complaint had been referred to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) following allegations that "Judge John Hlophe, has approached some of the judges of the Constitutional Court in an improper attempt to influence this Court's pending judgement in one or more cases..."

The statement did not reveal which of the 11 Concourt judges had allegedly been approached by Hlophe, but it did say that "the complaint relates to the matters of Thint (Pty) Ltd v National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others (CCT 89/07), JG Zuma and Another v National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others (CCT 91/07), Thint Holdings (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd and Another v National Director of Public Prosecutions (CCT 90/07) and JG Zuma v National Director of Public Prosecutions (CCT 92/07)."

The cases were heard by the Court in Johannesburg between 11 and 14 March and related to controversial search and seizure raids at properties belonging to Zuma in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal and at the Durban office of his attorney Michael Hulley on 18 August 2005.

Properties belonging to Thint were also raided. A ruling has yet to be made.

The corruption charges related to Shaik's attempt to solicit a R500 000 a year bribe from Thint, the South African subsidiary of Thales International (formerly Thomson CSF) for Zuma. Zille said she believed that Hlophe should step aside pending the outcome of the JSC's investigations into his conduct.

She promised that the DA would raise the issue repeatedly and at all levels possible. "Our constituents are shocked to the core. I'm sure a large component of the ANC will also be shocked," she said.

She questioned what was behind the allegations and possible motives were they proved true. "The big question to be asked is who is behind this. Why would a Judge President be prepared to risk his career? Who put Hlophe up to this?

Sapa