A selection of quotes from southern and South Africa published in the media during the past week. This feature moves every Thursday.

"The Scorpions are stinging up the wrong tree." -- Schabir Shaik, a bidding contractor in the multi-billion rand arms deal, who was arrested by the Scorpions after the release of the investigation report into the deal.

"It's actually a sick report. There are serious omissions and the conclusions are wishy-washy." -- Private defence contractor Richard Young. The Thomson Group and African Defence System were awarded a contract in the arms deal at the cost of Young's company, CCII Systems.

"A white-wash and a sad cover-up." -- Pan Africanist Congress MP Patricia de Lille about the report.

"At the base of all this lies the racist conviction that Africans who now govern our country are naturally prone to corruption, venality and mismanagement." -- President Thabo Mbeki contending that beneficiaries of apartheid were behind attempts to discredit the arms probe report.

"Indeed their criticism in this regard smacks of racism." – Justice Minister Penuell Maduna on opposition parties rejecting the arms probe report as a "white-wash".

"It would appear indeed that all these individuals are motivated by the whole misconception that everything worked upon by black people should not be trusted or accepted." -- Maduna again.

With acknowledgements to Sapa.