"The message was that the government is not involved in any corruption," National Religious Leaders Forum chairman Aswhin Trikamjee told reporters in Pretoria.
"The president made it a point of assuring religious leaders that there is nothing wrong with the present government."
Trikamjee was speaking after a meeting of a presidential working group set up to promote interaction between the government and religious communities.
Mbeki used the meeting to dismiss "the impression created in the media that there is a big crisis", said Trikamjee, flanked by director-general in the presidency Frank Chikane.
"The religious leaders were very, very satisfied and extremely grateful to the president for having taken them into confidence in this whole debate."
On the arms deal, he said Mbeki rejected claims of corruption involving the primary contract, in which the government was involved.
"He made it clear, having taken us through all the facts, that he could give us the assurance that there is absolutely, as far as he and the government is concerned ... no corruption whatsoever in this process".
The president said "little bits of information had been highlighted and magnified and taken advantage of by some of the people who lost out in the arms deal, and others who have axes to grind with some ministers".
Mbeki used the example, Trikamjee said, of corruption allegations levelled against Justice Minister Penuell Maduna by his deputy director-general Mike Tshishonga.
Tshishonga claimed the minister had abused his powers to land a friend, Enver Motala, lucrative liquidation appointments.
"He (Mbeki) gave us the background to the events and how there have been constant complaints against the liquidating companies that they serve the interests of certain private corporate entities," Trikamjee said.
The president explained to religious leaders that four government ministers and he himself -- then deputy president -- were involved in decision-making on the primary arms deal contract. It would have been impossible for any one person to have affected the outcome of the process or to have been influenced by a bribe.
Mbeki pointed out that Zuma, at the time an MEC in KwaZulu-Natal, could not have influenced the process, Trikamjee said.
He also underlined that no evidence had been found to link Zuma to any wrongdoing.
The deputy president has been accused of accepting a R500,000 bribe from a bidder in the arms deal. But public prosecutions head Bulelani Ngcuka has decided against taking Zuma to court, saying that even though a prima facie case existed there was not enough evidence to win a case.
Trikamjee said Mbeki briefed religious leaders on the government's 10-year review report, released last week.
Also on the agenda was future co-operation between the government and religious groupings in the area of social development.
Religious leaders were presented with a draft framework to this end, which would now be discussed with their constituents - Sapa
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