Patricia de Lille has called for the Hefer commission of inquiry to be broadened to investigate other high-ranking members of the ANC whom she named in parliament as alleged apartheid informers.

Her list of seven names included Justice Minister Penuell Maduna.

De Lille, leader of the Independent Democrats, made the appeal after Maduna yesterday challenged her in parliament to repeat her 1997 allegations to Judge Joos Hefer.

The Hefer commission is looking into allegations that National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka was investigated during the 1980s by the ANC on suspicion that he was a security police informer, which Ngcuka denies.

Maduna was replying to a question by the Democratic Alliance's Sheila Camerer, who reminded him that his name was on an alleged list of "impimpis" six years ago and asked whether he too should be investigated.

"I challenge (De Lille) now to produce evidence that I ever worked for the National Party or its agencies," Maduna lashed out. "She was never able to repeat that outside (parliamentary privilege).

Maduna said that if Camerer believed De Lille's allegations and was able to prove it, he would resign immediately.

"Patricia de Lille, your moment has come. Give (the evidence) to Judge Hefer," Maduna said.

When asked for comment, De Lille was unrepentant and said she would repeat in public the names of the seven ANC leaders whom she alleged were spies.

"My problem with the ANC is that when they themselves make accusations, they appoint a commission," she said.

"At the time, I also asked for a commission of inquiry into several MPs, and nothing happened - except that a month later, then-deputy president Thabo Mbeki called on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to probe such allegations."

She said Judge Hefer's terms of reference should be broadened to also investigate her allegations. Repeating the names, she vowed to testify before the commission.

In a recent interview, Maduna told Independent Newspapers about how hurt he was by De Lille's allegations. "She lied that I was working for the other side," he said.

"I would one day want to appeal to her to produce the evidence. I pleaded with (TRC chairperson) Archbishop Desmond Tutu to call her to the commission ... and he did me a disservice by not calling her when he had the power to do so."

Camerer also asked Maduna whether Ngcuka received security clearance when he was appointed to his post and whether the "impimpi" allegations had surfaced during such clearance.

Maduna said Ngcuka did not go through a clearance procedure and was appointed directly by then-president Nelson Mandela's cabinet.

With acknowledgements to Christelle Terreblanche and The Star.