The Democratic Alliance (DA) says former president Jacob Zuma's testimony before the Zondo commission of inquiry into State capture on Monday was nothing more than an attempt to "play the victim and evade accountability".

The party said while Zuma was supposed to "come clean" before the commission, chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, he rather spoke of a biased media, conspiracy theories and assassination plots. It added that all the claims he had made were not backed by evidence. 

During his first appearance before the commission, Zuma said he had been a target of foreign intelligence agencies, which conspired against him. He also shared a rumour that he was aware of an offer to give him R20-million to resign as then-deputy president. 

Zuma said all these formed part of attempts to "assassinate his character", which he added had been ongoing since 1990.

"If these allegations are true, he must reveal which intelligence agencies plotted against him, who was behind the alleged R20-million offer and where the money would have come from.

"At no point did he take any personal responsibility for state capture, which took place under his presidency," DA MP Natasha Mazzone said in a statement.

She added the former president should come clean on his alleged role in State capture and reveal his knowledge of other individuals' involvement. 

"The Democratic Alliance maintains that the Zondo commission is a not the trial of Jacob Zuma, as he is but the figurehead of a sophisticated and damaging scheme led by the ANC [African National Congress] and its associates," Mazzone said.

Meanwhile, Congress of the People (Cope) said it was not shocked that Zuma had come out and "blamed a conspiracy against him by his comrades to get rid of him". 

"As part of his sympathy seeking tactics, Zuma went as far as branding some of his senior comrades as spies. 

"Cope wants to make it clear to Zuma that the legal net is closing, all his tricks will not help anymore," the party's spokesperson, Dennis Bloem, said.