Durban businessman Schabir Shaik has admitted under cross-examination that his financial relationship with Deputy President Jacob Zuma was concealed from both Nelson Mandela and parliament.

Not only did Shaik admit to deception regarding his financial dealings with Zuma, he also conceded that he had lied repeatedly about his academic qualifications.

In a day of high drama in Shaik's fraud and corruption trial in the Durban High Court on Monday, spectators looked on in horrified surprise when Shaik tried to imitate Mandela's voice, saying that he was only going to say: "Here is that Shaik again."

In another dramatic twist, Shaik's brother Mo whispered to him theatrically, from the back of the court, in a bid to stop him from giving the state access to more of his financial records.

'I used false qualifications to promote confidence and impress clients'

Prosecutor Billy Downer SC started his cross-examination of Shaik on a hostile foot on Monday, with Shaik admitting that he had lied about having an MBA, studying at "prestigious universities", being a qualified engineer and being a published author.

Downer: I have a Nkobi brochure here. Your CV is noted. It says "graduate of prestigious universities in Europe and the United States".

Shaik: I am not.

Downer: It says you are a qualified engineer.

Shaik: I am not.

Downer: It says you are a published author.

Shaik: It is also incorrect.

Downer: How did this happen?

Shaik: I don't want to explain how one develops a sense of confidence. I used it (false qualifications) to promote confidence and impress clients.

After this Downer's questions became colder and colder, and Shaik's answers became more and more sarcastic.

'I am smiling because this case is more about Zuma than it is about me'

At one stage Shaik replied: "I am smiling because this case is more about Zuma than it is about me."

And then the temper, for which many witnesses in the trial remembered Shaik, flared. Downer was probing Shaik's assertion that Zuma would repay him from his pension, and discussing with Shaik how much that would affect the deputy president's pension payout.

"Who is the struggling pensioner?" Shaik snarled. "I wish you to afford the deputy president of this country the respect he deserves."

Downer started his line of questioning about Shaik's reason for charging interest after a few years of financially assisting Zuma when, as a practicing Muslim, he had a moral problem with it.

Shaik: If we did not charge interest, he had to declare benefits to parliament.

Downer: Why did he not declare interest-free loans from you?

Shaik: He had accepted me charging interest.

Downer: It seems that Zuma did not wish to reveal that you were paying him money.

Shaik: That is one view.

Shaik then explained why, when he was asked to draw up a list of Zuma's debts for Mandela, he listed himself as a creditor under the name of his family trust.

"I did not attend the meeting with Mandela or put down that Zuma owed me money. Mandela would just have said 'Shaik is back'. I did not want Mandela to know Zuma owed me money," he said.

Downer then probed the source of disagreement between Shaik and Mandela which, according to Shaik, had to do with a dispute about a Malaysian economic empowerment model, referred to as crony capitalism.

"I wished to conceal the money I paid to Zuma from Mandela," Shaik said, imitating Mandela's voice. "I knew that if Mandela saw my name, he would not wish to fund Zuma."

Shaik said Mandela had agreed to help Zuma under certain conditions, which Zuma found unacceptable.

It was when Downer was asking questions about how much money exactly Zuma owed Shaik that his brother Mo tried to stop him saying too much.

Downer: Can you produce your records of the past few years to us?

Shaik: If the court so wishes.

Then Shaik's brother Mo whispered rather loudly from the back: "No! No!"

At times Shaik's answers sounded like a political speech.

Shaik: My belief is that Zuma sacrificed a national position to sort out the political carnage in KwaZulu-Natal.

Downer: Let me cut you short. We heard this before.

With acknowledgements to Estelle Ellis and The Star.

*1 The lure is presented, the fish strikes and is hooked.

For those who've ever caught a Nile Perch in the urine-warm waters of Lake Victoria, one knows that after a few short jerks it's all over. The beautiful looking white flesh inside quickly corrupts in the African heat and is inedible. What a waste.

The spoils of the fishers of corrupt men are more profitable - they return to their toils.

with massive apologies to Ernest Hemingway