Opposition parties slammed President Thabo Mbeki yesterday for saying there was no corruption in the government and seemingly putting his deputy, Jacob Zuma, in the clear.

Democratic Alliance spokesman Hendrick Schmidt said Mbeki was unfamiliar with what was happening in the country, making sweeping statements with no bearing on reality.

Regarding reports that religious leaders were satisfied with Mbeki's explanation that the arms deal had been free of corruption, Schmidt said they were either awed by Mbeki's "charm and spin" or that Mbeki had deliberately set out to mislead them.

He said Mbeki "should spend more time in South Africa and reacquaint himself with the situation on the ground".

Schmidt reminded Mbeki of various instances of corruption in the government, including:

Northern Cape Transport Minister John Block who had admitted to abusing taxpayers' money for personal gain;

The Scorpions' statement that there was prima facie evidence of corruption against Zuma;

Former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni who had been convicted on charges of corruption relating to the arms deal;

Former ANC Women's League president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela who had also been convicted of corruption.

Mbeki took religious leaders into his confidence on Tuesday during their third working group meeting and told them there was "absolutely no corruption" that Zuma could have been involved in. He accused the media of a creating a false crisis.

Ashwin Trikamjee, the co-ordinator of the National Religious Leaders' Forum which represents 18 faith groups in the country, said the leaders were "satisfied and extremely grateful" to Mbeki for having taken them into his confidence.

Previously, Mbeki had declined to comment publicly on the matter other than to say that Zuma should be presumed innocent until found guilty and that the courts should do their work.

Mbeki told religious leaders that the correspondence discovered by the Scorpions which referred to the alleged R500 000-a-year bribe had been written without Zuma's knowledge.

United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said Mbeki was trying to capture lost ground before the elections. It did not help to be "disingenuous" about the nature of the incriminations against Zuma and their direct link to the arms deal, he said.

"The arms deal is a festering sore that should have been excised with a proper investigation," Holomisa said.

With acknowledgements to Charles Phahlane and The Mercury.