Jacob Zuma, leader of South Africa's ruling party, has appeared in court for a second day to get corruption and fraud cases against him dropped.

If the judge agrees, then Zuma can contest to become South Africa's president. If not, he may go on trial later this year.

Judge Chris Nicholson said on Tuesday he needed time to consider the arguments and would issue his decision around September 12.

The African National Congress leader is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and faces charges of corruption, fraud, money-laundering and racketeering.

Zuma has denied the charges but says he will step down from his position if convicted.

The hearings at the high court in Pietermaritzburg concluded on Tuesday.

More than 1,000 of Zuma's supporters demonstrated outside the court, denouncing charges they believe are politically motivated.

Zuma has long been under a cloud because of a 1999 arms deal, but a chief prosecutor decided not to press charges in 2003.

President Thabo Mbeki fired Zuma as the country's deputy president in 2005 after Zuma's financial adviser was sentenced to 15 years in jail for trying to elicit bribes from a French company.

New charges were filed against him in 2005, but these were thrown out in 2006 on a technicality.