Zimbabwe, Aids and the arms deal are the three defining issues of the Mbeki presidency.

From differing perspectives, each represents appalling abuses of human rights and public resources. Lies, fraud and abuse of public power have been the means by which the presidency has tried unsuccessfully to cover up these scandals and to suppress criticism.

It is gratifying that 85 percent of South Africans (The Sunday Independent, June 26) believe that the arms deal needs further investigation. All government ministers were repeatedly warned that the arms deal was an invitation to corruption. Their response was that we faith-based critics at the 1996-1998 Defence Review were both wrong and naive.

Even more bizarre, the government insisted that the arms deal would simulate the economy and create more than 65 000 jobs. It was driven by European politicians for whom South Africa's needs were irrelevant. Germany and France would share the naval contracts. Britain and Sweden would share the warplane contracts. Italy would supply helicopters.

The Shaik judgment confirms that the French government entity Thomson-CSF conspired to bribe former deputy president Jacob Zuma, and thus to subvert our democracy.

The British secretary for trade and industry, Patricia Hewitt, confirmed in February this year that BAe Systems paid bribes on the South African contracts, but pleaded that they were "within acceptable limits". An estimated £160 million (R2 billion) is unaccounted for, and presumed to be kickbacks to politicians.

Thomson-CSF and the predecessor companies to BAe flouted the 1977-1994 United Nations arms embargo. People here and around the world gave their lives to the struggle against apartheid. Yet Thomson-CSF and BAe Systems were awarded arms deal contracts in violation of fundamental tender procedures.

Further investigation of the arms deal must examine why European politicians flocked to South Africa after 1994 to pay tribute to our democracy with one hand, and to peddle weapons with the other. And why did our government succumb to their pressure?

With acknowledgements to Terry Crawford-Browne and The Sunday Independent.