The NPA will soon provide the DA with the reduced record relating to its decision to drop corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma, an official said on Wednesday.

"The process is taking longer than we anticipated hence the delay in supplying them will all the relevant information," National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said.

"The process includes transcribing of the records, verification and submitting to the president's legal team due to the representations being subject to confidentiality rule."

Earlier, the Democratic Alliance said it was taking legal steps to force the NPA to produce complete documents, including tapes.

In March, the Supreme Court of Appeal ordered the NPA to hand over the documents, giving it a 14-day deadline – up to April 10 – in which to comply.

[DA leader Helen] Zille said on Wednesday the first correspondence containing documents was received from the State Attorney by her party on April 12, two days after the deadline.

These amounted to "mainly the same documents the DA had forwarded to the NPA arguing why the prosecution should continue".

The DA is challenging the NPA's decision to drop the charges in the High Court in Pretoria.

Zille said the documents sent on April 12 had no relation to the evidence before the NPA that might have caused it to withdraw the charges against Zuma.

The decision in 2009 to drop the charges against Zuma – taken by then acting National Director of Public Prosecutions Mokotedi Mpshe – was made a month before he was elected president.

Mhaga said: "We will deal with whatever court action they institute as and when we receive notice to that effect."