He labels move to recharge him political conspiracy

Jacob Zuma has fingered President Thabo Mbeki and Vusi Pikoli, the suspended prosecuting boss, as the chief suspects in an alleged conspiracy against him.

And the presidential hopeful has stated under oath that the decision to recharge him and French arms company Thint for corruption was part of a "carefully orchestrated, politically inspired and driven strategy to exclude me from any meaningful political role".

In an affidavit served on the court yesterday morning, Zuma asked the Mauritian Supreme Court for the right to stop the National Prosecuting Authority from obtaining the originals of 13 documents used to convict his former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, of fraud and corruption.

The Star has established that Zuma did not inform the NPA of his application - or its basis.

Judge Rehana Mungly-Gulbul was to consider whether Zuma has the right to intervene in the attorney-general's processing of the state's request for what it describes as "damning" documents.

The Star has also learnt that Zuma's efforts to stop the papers being handed over included a meeting with Mauritian Prime Minister Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam.

Explaining why he believed there was a political conspiracy against him, Zuma again questioned the circumstances under which - following Shaik's conviction - he was dismissed as the country's deputy president and then charged in August 2005.

"Both these decisions were made shortly after Pikoli had accompanied the president on a trip to Chile. In fact, the president and Pikoli allege that they arrived at their respective decisions independently of each other … I have difficulty believing (this)."

He also confirmed that Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla had used his treatment by the soon-to-be disbanded Scorpions to argue for Pikoli's axing.

According to Zuma, Mabandla had complained that:

Pikoli "acted improperly in commissioning known apartheid operatives in a search and seizure at my residence"; and "He commissioned a report which investigated my interaction with African leaders and whether I posed any threat to the security of the state."

Zuma did not comment further on Mabandla's claims, saying only that the Scorpions had "not applied strictly prosecutorial criteria in its investigation and decision to prosecute me".

For the first time, however, he explained what he believed had motivated "certain individuals" to oppose his mooted leadership of SA: his compassion for the poor.

"I have always been perceived … as a populist - attuned to the needs of the masses and the poor. I am also known to have strong views on many contentious issues.

"It suffices to say that certain individuals deployed in established institutions both inside and outside the ANC are strongly opposed to my stewardship of the ANC and the country," he said.

The disputed documents include the diary of former Thint representative Alain Thetard, in which he noted a meeting in which he, Shaik and Zuma allegedly discussed a R500 000 bribe for Zuma.

According to the state, this was for Zuma's protection from a potentially damaging inquiry into the arms deal.

With acknowledgements to Karyn Maughan and The Star.