He was left with the impression that "only one person could get (Deputy President Jacob) Zuma's signature" supporting a tourism initiative - and that was Durban businessman Schabir Shaik, a Scottish professor has told the High Court in Durban.

Professor John Lennon on Thursday testified in Shaik's corruption and fraud trial. Lennon, who arrived from Scotland on Thursday morning and will be returning home on Friday, undertook the quick visit after the state failed in its application to lead his evidence by satellite link.

Lennon told the court that he had come to South Africa in 1998 as part of a trade delegation to look at how skills could be developed to enhance tourism.

The plan was to start an ecotourism school in KwaZulu-Natal. He said he had met Shaik after a talk in Johannesburg in 1998 and also remembered that it was considered vital for Zuma, then KwaZulu-Natal MEC for tourism and economic development, to give his support to the project.

Lennon said that after "waiting for a long time" he had managed to meet with Zuma, who was "very keen" on the idea of an ecotourism school.

Lennon asked Zuma for a "letter of support" needed to obtain funding for a feasibility study, which Zuma promised he would provide. Lennon returned to Scotland and waited for the letter.

"It took a very long time," he said.

In January, 1999, Deva Ponnoosami, Nkobi's London agent, wrote to Shaik, saying Lennon was experiencing trouble in "getting JZ's signature".

Lennon told the court that he also drafted a very simple draft letter and faxed it to Ponnoosami as an example.

On February 4, 1999, the letter from Zuma finally arrived. It had been faxed from Shaik's Nkobi Holdings' fax machine.

The letter expressed Zuma's support for the venture, and the suggestion that Lennon make Nkobi Holdings his South African partner.

"It was interesting, but premature," Lennon said. "We had South African partners. At that stage we were just dealing with bread-and-butter stuff."

"It was peculiar that the letter was not sent from Zuma's office," Lennon said. "I wondered why Zuma would suggest one company in particular. I also found it unusual that a minister had to be helped to write a letter. It did not fill me with confidence."

On the same day Lennon received a letter from Nkobi Holdings confirming their interest in being Lennon's project partner. Lennon wrote to Shaik saying he was keen to discuss the project but "it was early days".

This drew an angry reply from Shaik, written by Nkobi employee Martyn Surman.

"I have to advise you that he (Shaik) finds your response insulting to say the least," Surman wrote.

"It seems a bit harsh. Shaik must be easily insulted," Lennon said.

Surman also wrote that it was only through Shaik's intervention that they had obtained a letter of support from Zuma.

"There was an unusual and irregular implied reference (sic) here that only one person could get Zuma's signature," Lennon said. Surman further demanded project details to be delivered within three days, "failing which (Shaik) will go back to Minister Zuma".

In another letter to Ponnoosami, Shaik wrote that if Lennon missed this deadline "I will seek to do what is necessary to stop (his) progress".

"I thought, naively, that they only wanted to get the project going," Lennon said.

"The letter suggests that there was a degree of influence over Zuma. It was unusual, unfortunate and tragically unforgivable, given that it stopped a project that would have been worthwhile."

"I did not reply to their letter. I wanted nothing to do with them. Despite our best efforts we got nowhere with the project. We had to move on. It was very disappointing.

With acknowledgements to Estelle Ellis and the Cape Times.