The Democratic Alliance on Sunday welcomed reports that prosecution authorities have questioned the South Africa's ambassador to the US, Barbara Masekela, over the controversial arms deal.

The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) reportedly questioned Masekela about an alleged meeting between President Thabo Mbeki and a French arms company, now a co-accused in the Jacob Zuma corruption trial.

Mbeki has on numerous occasions said he could not remember whether he had met officials from the company, Thint, while on an official State visit to France in 1998.

However, Mbeki's detractors, mainly those supporting Zuma, have used this to cast doubt over Mbeki's innocence regarding the arms deal. They believe the charges against Zuma were aimed at shifting attention to the wrong man.

But the NPA is on the record saying there was no basis or credible evidence that warranted the prosecution authorities to initiate an investigation into Mbeki.

In affidavits filed with the Pietermaritzburg High Court last month, Zuma also suggested that Mbeki was the right man to ask about corruption in the arms deal since he took part in the procurement process.

DA MP Gareth Morgan said the party wanted the NPA to question Mbeki as well as the Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad, who it is alleged met one of the company's bosses in 1999.

"We believe the questioning of South Africa's ambassador to the US, Barbara Masekela, is long overdue," said Morgan.

"Apart from the President himself, there are many others that should be questioned, (like) Pahad."

Morgan said Mbeki must also answer how the alleged secret meetings met the constitutional requirement "that the acquisition of goods and service must be fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective".

He also challenged Mbeki to assure the country that neither the ANC nor any other individual or organisation benefited in any form from the arms deal.

On Sunday the South African Communist Party (SACP) said it also believed that the ANC should lead a comprehensive review of the entire arms procurement package.

This should include "a re-investigation, given the many questions that continue to cloud this procurement process" and a look at how the ANC government, which placed so much emphasis on fiscal discipline, could have entered into such a costly armament project.

"Wherever there is any indication of corruption this should be pursued by the appropriate authorities without fear or favour. However, the SACP believes that the emphasis of such a comprehensive review should be placed much more on asking broader policy and strategic questions," said the SACP's central committee at the weekend.

This article was originally published on page 3 of Pretoria News on August 14, 2006

With acknowledgement to Thokozani Mtshali and Independent On Line.