Cape Town - Deputy President Jacob Zuma has urged Parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) to produce evidence of alleged malpractice in the R43 billion arms deal.

He also wants Scopa, in its next report to Parliament, to substantiate its conclusion that defence acquisitions were "usually attended by malpractice, with the purchasing countries being victims of such malpractice".

Zuma made the comments in a letter to National Assembly Speaker Dr Frene Ginwala, dated January 31, in reply to one she sent to him two days earlier.

This is the second letter that Zuma has written to Parliament about the matter.

In a previous hard-hitting letter to Scopa chairman Dr Gavin Woods, Zuma criticised the committee for "seriously misdirecting itself" and "arriving at decisions that are not substantiated by any facts".

Replying to Zuma then, Ginwala said it was evident that there were differences among Scopa members on what its report of November 3 last year had intended to convey.

Opposition parties insist the committee was unanimous in the view that Judge Willem Heath's anti-corruption unit should be involved in a multi-agency probe into the deal, although the ANC claims no agency was singled out.

Zuma said in his reply to Ginwala, released to Sapa on Monday, that he was pleased to learn that the Assembly was due to receive a further report from Scopa.

He hoped it would be able to address more clearly the matters raised in its preliminary report, which had also alleged flawed selection procedures in the arms deals regarding the appointment of contractors.

Zuma said it would be helpful if Scopa in its next report answered the following questions: On what information did Scopa base its conclusion that improper influence might have been exerted in "certain of these selections"?; Which selections were being referred to and who were the influential parties?; What evidence caused Scopa to reach the conclusion that influential parties might have influenced the choice of sub-contractors?; and Why did Scopa omit to invite the Ministers involved in the process to clarify and answer questions, prior to the finalisation of the National Assembly's preliminary report?

Zuma was referring to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota and Public Enterprises Minister Jeff Radebe.

They slammed Scopa at a media conference last month for not understanding how arms deals worked, and are scheduled to address the committee soon.

Scopa is to meet in full plenary again on Wednesday to discuss its sub-committee's report on the different interpretations of the November 3 report. 

With acknowledgement to Sapa and News24.