Schabir Shaik threatened to "eliminate" his enemies according to his former personal assistant Bianca Singh.

Singh makes the claim in a sworn statement she provided to Scorpions investigators in July 2001 and which has been handed in as an exhibit in Shaik's corruption trial in Durban.

The bulk of the statement covers the issues Singh testified on in court on Monday and Tuesday, including Shaik's call for "damage control" as pressure mounted over alleged arms deal irregularities.

She also describes how she left Shaik's employ abruptly after a "personal incident" in November 2000 and was asked to sign a confidentiality clause in her termination settlement.

"Because I knew too much about the relationship between Mr Shaik and (Deputy President) Jacob Zuma."

But at the very end of her three page statement she says: "I am scared and believe that I have reason to fear Mr Schaik (sic). I have heard him say that he will not let anyone break down his empire and he would just eliminate or just get rid of them."

The prosecution kept Singh's name off its official list of more than 100 witnesses in order to protect her identity up to the last minute.

She was escorted to court and gave her testimony under the watchful eye of two Scorpions bodyguards.

The current witness Susan Delique is also accompanied by a pair of bodyguards.

With acknowledgement to Sapa.