Former deputy president Jacob Zuma and French arms maker Thint are expected to do battle with the National Prosecuting Authority tomorrow over the release of documents from Mauritius.

These deal with meetings be-tween Zuma, his then financial adviser, Schabir Shaik - now doing time for fraud - and Thint.

Zuma's attorney, Michael Hulley, said he did not anticipate delays in filing papers in court opposing the NPA's request for the release of the documents from Mauritius.

The NPA approached the Durban High Court on December 12 for a letter of request to the Mauritian attorney-general under the International Co-operation in Criminal Matters Act.

Mr Justice Phillip Levinsohn gave Zuma and Thint until tomorrow to file papers opposing the ap-plication, and the State until March 2 to respond.

He set down March 22 to March 25 for argument in the Pieter- maritzburg High Court.

The documents include the 2000 diary of former Thint chief executive Alain Thetard.

The NPA submitted, in support of its application, that the diary entry for March 11, 2000, was a key piece of evidence for the State.

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

Last September Mr Justice Herbert Msimang struck the case against Zuma and Thint from the roll after the State requested a postponement. 

With acknowledgements to Sapa and Cape Argus.