Jacob Zuma today fingered President Thabo Mbeki and Vusi Pikoli, the suspended prosecuting boss, as chief suspects in a 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 Mauritian Attorney-General this 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.

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 state 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.

"Needless to say, this, I have difficulty in believing to be the truth."

He added that, at the time that he was first charged, "I would most likely have been elevated to the position of president of the RSA once the current incumbent's term of office had expired".

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

According to Zuma, Mabandla had complained that:

n Pikoli "acted improperly in commissioning known apartheid operatives in a search and seizure at my residence".

n "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 verily believe that my prosecution has, from inception, been politically motivated as a result of the political beliefs and principles which I hold dear and which some of my political adversaries seek to negate by denying me the right to occupy important political office.

"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 enquiry into the arms deal.

The Star has established that Zuma's efforts to stop the documents from being handed over included a recent meeting with Mauritian Prime Minister Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam.

Zuma has argued that he should be allowed to intervene in the processing of the NPA's request because he has "a very real and significant interest in the litigation".

He added: "The assistance sought (from the Mauritian authorities) is sought primarily to use the result against me for political reasons and no other consideration."

The Mauritian Attorney General's office was this morning to indicate if it would oppose Zuma's application.

With acknowledgements to Karyn Maughan and The Star.