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The Democratic Alliance called yesterday for Deputy President Jacob Zuma to be subpoenaed to testify before the Hefer Commission of Inquiry, and for the intelligence services to cooperate with the commission.

President Thabo Mbeki initially set up the commission to "cauterise what is essentially an internal squabble" in the African National Congress, DA spokesperson Sheila Camerer said.

However, now both the ANC and the government's intelligence services appeared to be resisting the efforts of the commission to get to the bottom of it all, she said.

The commission, chaired by retired Judge Joos Hefer, is investigating allegations that National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka had been an apartheid spy.

The allegations against Ngcuka surfaced shortly after his National Prosecuting Authority had announced that it had a prima facie case of alleged bribery against Zuma.

However, Ngcuka decided not to prosecute.

Camerer said the ANC "seems to be back-tracking on its support for the commission".

ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama had stated on Thursday there was "no basis" for Zuma to testify before the commission, despite the fact that he was the head of ANC intelligence at the time.

"It is also very likely that the leaked story that precipitated the commission being set up originated from the 'Zuma-camp' within the ANC.

"However, it is not up to the ANC or Ngonyama to decide this," she said.

The DA believed Hefer's commission should subpoena the deputy president to access any documents or information in his possession.

Former transport minister Mac Maharaj was on record as saying that Zuma directly supervised "Project Bible", which was reportedly initiated to detect apartheid agents operating within the ANC and the mass democratic movement within South Africa.

If the ANC had suspicions Ngcuka was an apartheid agent, Zuma "must surely know about it," Camerer said, "and he should have some idea of the relevant files that would have been handed over to the intelligence services.

"In addition, the state intelligence services should cooperate with the commission.

"The National Intelligence Agency is best placed to answer the question once and for all: was Ngcuka a spy? "It has all the ANC files in its archives, as well as the apartheid state's files on its operatives.

"It should be simple enough to establish the truth and present it to the commission without compromising current or future intelligence gathering". – Sapa.

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