South Africa’s former President, Jacob Zuma, is to face prosecution for 16 charges of corruption, the BBC reports.

Chief Prosecutor Shaun Abrahams told the BBC, he believed there were “reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution”.

The charges – which Mr Zuma denies – include counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

Mr Zuma, 75, was forced to resign as president last month by his party, the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

He was facing his ninth no-confidence vote in parliament before he left office.

The charges relate to a 30bn rand ($2.5bn; £1.7bn) government arms deal in the late 1990s, before he became president.

French arms supplier Thales will also face charges, a prosecutor said. Thales declined to comment, reports the AFP news agency.