The pending trial and questions about Zuma's credibility could be fodder for opposition parties ahead of the vote, but some analysts say the opposition will still have a tough fight on its hands.
He noted that the order applies only to a single case, and that similar questions have been raised in more than a dozen cases pending in other courts of appeals.
Judges typically will only allow bail pending appeal for a defendant who has been sentenced to prison when there are significant questions of law associated with the verdict.