Durban : The National Prosecuting Authority's request to have documents pertaining to meetings between Jacob Zuma, French arms manufacturer Thint and Schabir Shaik released from Mauritius, was yesterday deferred to March.

Zuma and Thint's legal teams will be back in court in March to oppose the State's application requesting the documents to be handed over to the NPA.

The documents allegedly show that a meeting did take place between Zuma, convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik and Thint's former chief executive, Alain Thetard.

The NPA yesterday asked the Durban High Court to issue a letter of request to the Mauritian Attorney General in terms of the International Co-operation in Criminal Matters Act.

Judge Phillip Levinsohn ruled in chambers that Zuma and Thint have until February 9 to file papers opposing the application, while the State has until March 2 to respond.

He further ruled that the matter be argued in the Pietermaritzburg High Court from March 22 to March 25.

The documents, held in Mauritius, include Thetard's 2000 diary.

In supporting documentation submitted it was revealed that "the entry (in Thetard's diary) for March 11, 2000, is a particularly important piece of evidence for the State and the present prosecution.

"It appears from this entry that Thetard met with 'J Zuma + SS' (Schabir Shaik) in Durban on that day".

Shaik was convicted of fraud and two counts of corruption by Judge Hilary Squires in July 2005. Earlier this year the Supreme Court of Appeal upheld the Squires judgment and Shaik was sent to prison.

On the second count of corruption Schaik was found guilty of trying to solicit a |R500 000 a year bribe from Thetard for Zuma.

The attorney for Thint, Ajay Sooklal, and Zuma's advocate, Kemp J Kemp, as well as Anton Steynberg for the NPA, were at the Durban High Court yesterday morning. However, they did not speak to the media after Levinsohn issued his ruling.

In March the NPA tried to get a similar letter of request but Judge Pete Combrinck ruled that it would have to be granted by the trial judge hearing the case against Zuma.

In September this year Judge Herbert Msimang struck the case against Zuma and Thint from the roll after the State had sought a postponement pending the outcome of the Shaik appeal and a challenge to the search and seizure raids carried out on the homes and businesses of Zuma, his attorneys and Thint.

The outstanding Mauritian documents were at the time presented to the court as a reason for the postponement of the case.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and Cape Times.