Call Deputy President Jacob Zuma and former intelligence minister Joe Nhlanhla to the witness box, Mo Shaik advised the Hefer Commission on Friday.

This appeared to be a desperate attempt to secure authoritative confirmation of his spy claim against national director of public prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka.

Shaik explained that Zuma and Nhlanhla were his apartheid-era superiors within the African National Congress' intelligence structures. They had first-hand knowledge of a 1989 ANC investigation into spy suspicions against Ngcuka.

Ngcuka broke the rule of law by persecuting certain people and not others Shaik concluded at the time that Ngcuka was "most probably" an agent for the apartheid government, the commission heard this week.

He reported this to Zuma and Nhlanhla.

Shaik further testified on Friday that he did not know how Zuma and Nhlanhla dealt with the report on Ngcuka. He was also unable to find the original report that he had sent them.

Earlier on Friday, Shaik suggested that no one was coming forward to support his claim out of fear for retaliation by the National Prosecuting Authority, headed by Ngcuka.

He accused the NPA of "undermining the democracy we all hold so dear".

Ngcuka broke the rule of law by persecuting certain people and not others, he added.

"We live in terrible times. Times of fear and cruelty," Shaik said, referring to Ngcuka's alleged abuse of power.

The former intelligence operative conceded that he could have been wrong when he concluded that Ngcuka was most probably a spy.

If credible evidence was provided to the commission to prove him wrong, he would accept it, Shaik said.

Commissioner Joos Hefer adjourned the hearing until 9am on Monday, when counsel for Ngcuka, Advocate Marumo Moerane, will continue cross-examining Shaik.

With acknowledgements to Marleen Smith, Sapa and www.iol.co.za.