Former South African president Jacob Zuma is to appear in court Today  on 16 corruption charges over a suspect arms deal that dogged much of his rule before he was ousted in February.

Zuma will attend the brief preliminary hearing at the Durban High Court in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal, ahead of a trial that could send him to jail.

Crowds of Zuma's loyal supporters and political opponents are expected to rally outside the court, where a large police presence is planned to prevent clashes.

Andrew Feinstein, a former lawmaker in the ruling African National Congress Party (ANC) which Zuma led with a firm grip for years, has campaigned for more than a decade for the case to come to court.