Former president Jacob Zuma is expected to be issued with a summons to appear in the Durban High Court in April on corruption charges.

Sources close to the case disclosed to News24 that Zuma will appear in court on April 6.

Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi told News24 on Sunday that the summons will be issued to Zuma's lawyers later this week.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said he could not comment, ahead of the summons being issued.

The NPA will prosecute Zuma on 16 charges of corruption, money laundering and racketeering.

The charges relate to 783 questionable payments Zuma allegedly received in connection with the controversial multi-billion rand arms deal.

"I am of the view that there are reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution of Mr Zuma," embattled NPA boss Shaun Abrahams said on Friday, March 16, when he announced that the prosecuting authority would go ahead with prosecuting the former president.

Former NPA boss Mokotedi Mpshe dropped the charges in 2009, based on the recordings of the so-called "spy tapes", which were presented to him by Zuma's legal team.

The tapes were made up of recordings of telephone conversations between then Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy and former NPA boss Bulelani Ngcuka, which Zuma's legal team claimed showed political interference in the decision to charge him.

The charges were subsequently withdrawn, just before Zuma was sworn in for his first term as president.