Deputy President Jacob Zuma, who is under a cloud over alleged kickbacks in the arms deal and receipt of undeclared gifts, says he has launched a campaign to clear his name.

In a hard-hitting speech at a banquet to launch the City of Cape Town's moral regeneration programme this week, Zuma said he had embarked on a process to correct the lies and distortions that had dominated the media in recent months.

"Whatever it takes, the lies and real motives behind the lies must be exposed. The truth must be told and shall be told," Zuma said, adding that the National Prosecution Authority headed by Bulelani Ngcuka had started investigating him three years ago but had found no evidence of wrong-doing.

He said the government was determined to fight corruption, but should ensure that this did not become a destructive crusade or a vehicle to carry out hidden agendas and motives.

Ngcuka is the subject of the Hefer Commission into allegations that he was an apartheid-era spy.

Zuma said allegations of corruption had tested democracy as people watched to see if leaders would abuse power and stop investigations into alleged corrupt practices and to see if organs of state would do their job and not abuse power.

Zuma was in Cape Town for the launch of the city's moral regeneration programme and called on Capetonians to get involved in the process of drawing up a moral charter to promote the values of compassion, integrity, peace, justice and respect for one another.

He said the building of strong families should be the cornerstone of the campaign to ensure children got the love and respect required to mould them into responsible adults.

That went hand in hand with fighting crime and building safer neighbourhoods and, through Operation Tswikila law enforcement agencies, were succeeding in the war against drugs and gangsterism in the city.

He called on communities to take part in the fight against crime.

"We need to blow the whistle on those who continue to terrorise our communities."

Zuma said since 1994 the government had improved the quality of life of millions by supplying water, electricity and housing subsidies. That was important because eradicating poverty would contribute to the success of the moral regeneration programme.

The moral regeneration movement is a Section 21 company that was launched last year in partnership with the government. It is a nationwide programme and Zuma called on Capetonians to be the first to make proposals on what should go into the proposed moral charter. "So that we can agree on where we are taking this country."

Earlier in the evening Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo had spoken of the importance of the moral regeneration programme.

"Today a 35-year-old man appeared in court for raping a nine-month-old baby. A few weeks ago old people were found dead in their homes. Grandmothers were killed by their grandchildren. The list goes on. Moral regeneration is long overdue in this city," Mfeketo said.

With acknowledgements to Douglas Carew and the Weekend Argus.