Fraud and corruption accused Schabir Shaik said it was an insult to think he was a successful business man only because of his association with deputy president Jacob Zuma *1.

"It's an insult to say the least. There's no recognition for my business intuition...," said Shaik on day three of his testimony in the Durban High Court.

Shaik told the court on Wednesday that early in his dealings with French company Thomson CSF (now known as Thales internationally and as Thint in South Africa) he heard that President Thabo Mbeki had apparently told Thompson boss Jean-Paul Perrier that Shaik and the Nkobi group of companies was not a suitable Black Economic Empowerment partner.

He said according to Perrier, former president Nelson Mandela was also "reserved" about Nkobi's BEE credentials when Perrier met him at a function in Paris.

Shaik said he called on Zuma for help in sorting out these "ill-conceived views" because Zuma "knew of me as a person and comrade and knew my credentials".

He said Zuma was also a senior member of the ANC who would be able to give the French company a balanced view of BEE.

Shaik told the court that foreign companies understood BEE to only apply to Africans and not other race groups in South Africa.

He said after discussion with Zuma, Thompson CSF understood the concept and they proceeded with the business partnership with Nkobi.

With acknowledgements to Sapa.

*1 Of course not - he made his first big break with Mac Maharaj, the then Minister of Transport, on the toll-road and driver's licence contracts.