The Pan Africanist Congress will proceed with its court action against the government, after President Thabo Mbeki on Friday accepted Justice Minister Penuell Maduna's recommendation that the Heath special investigating unit not be included in the probe into the government's R43-billion arms-acquisition programme.

Patricia de Lille, a PAC MP, said on Friday the PAC would take the government to court because the executive had ignored the wishes and recommendations of parliament.

"President Mbeki's acceptance of minister Maduna's recommendations that the unit be excluded in the probe of the controversial arms deal may have come as a shock to some people who believe the ANC government's empty promises to make life better for everyone and to root out corruption in the country," De Lille said.

"The PAC calls on clear thinking South Africans who have the interest of the country at heart to rise up against the abuse of power by a regime of tyranny. Democracy is at stake here."

She said other political parties were welcome to join the PAC in their court action.

De Lille said she would brief a meeting of the PAC's national executive on Saturday. The party will issue a full statement after the briefing.

Mbeki made the announcement of the Heath unit's exclusion on Friday afternoon.

His reasons for excluding Heath from the investigation included the fact that on November 28 last year the Constitutional Court declared it unconstitutional for a judge to head the unit.

With acknowledgement to Sapa and Independent Online.