Prosecutors and lawyers for South Africa’s jailed former president, Jacob Zuma, have jointly requested that his scheduled appearance this week in a corruption trial be postponed.

The ex-president’s foundation reported on Monday on its Twitter handle that “the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on behalf of all the parties sent a joint letter to Hon. Judge Koen reflecting the parties’ agreement to postpone the hearing.”

It added that the request had been made because the former president was in the hospital.

NPA spokesman Mthuzi Mahaga declined to comment on whether a postponement request had been made.

The South African Judiciary and Mr Zuma’s lawyers did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Mr Zuma, who has been in hospital since Friday, was expected to appear at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday in an arms deal corruption case dating from his time as vice-president.

The 79-year-old is serving a 15-month sentence at Estcourt prison in KwaZulu-Natal province.

Mr Zuma faces charges of corruption, fraud, racketeering and money laundering over a two-billion-dollar arms deal involving French company Thales (then known as Thomson-CSF).