The Hefer Commission has postponed its public hearings for two days until Wednesday, secretary John Bacon confirmed on Sunday.

Bacon said people who wanted to make submissions relating to a possible widening of the commission of inquiry's terms of reference, had asked for the postponement.

The hearings would start on Wednesday with three of these submissions before any other witnesses testified. Bacon did not reveal who would be making them.

Retired chief justice Joos Hefer was appointed by President Thabo Mbeki to investigate allegations that National Director of Public Prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka was an apartheid spy.

The allegations surfaced shortly after it was announced that Ngcuka's Scorpions unit was investigating bribery allegations against Deputy President Jacob Zuma, connected to the country's controversial multi-billion rand arms deal.

Mbeki originally asked the commission only to determine whether Ngcuka acted as a security or intelligence agent for the apartheid government. This job description has since been widened amid a flurry of new allegations against Ngcuka and his political head, Justice Minister Penuell Maduna.

Earlier this week it was announced that the commission's terms of reference had been extended to include Maduna and whether he had abused his ministerial powers.

Maduna was among eight top African National Congress members whom Patricia de Lille, the former Pan Africanist Congress MP and now leader of the Independent Democrats, earlier wanted confirmed as possible apartheid spies.

A deputy director general in Maduna's department last week added accusations of favouritism relating to the appointment of liquidators. Mike Tshishonga alleged that the minister had abused his powers to see to the appointment of liquidator Enver Motala, a close friend.

Maduna denied Tshishonga's allegations and welcomed the broadening of the Hefer Commission's terms of reference.

The Sunday Independent reported this week that Maduna would not to be available to serve as a minister in Mbeki's cabinet after next year's elections. He reportedly cited in-fighting within the African National Congress taking its toll.

Also this week, mining magnate Brett Kebble brought new allegations against Ngcuka, accusing him of being motivated by a private agenda. Kebble's public remarks followed him being investigated by the Scorpions for alleged fraud.

Ngcuka's strategy and legal adviser Lungisa Dyosi said the Hefer Commission would test Kebble's allegations.

Journalist Ranjeni Munusamy was reported in the past week as saying she would refuse to testify before the commission because she did not want to reveal her journalistic sources. She recently resigned at the Sunday Times after admitting to handing over documents concerning the spy allegations against Ngcuka to the City Press.

The commission secretariat has notified Munusamy that she would be called as a witness.

Sunday paper Rapport reported this week that other witnesses to be called included former transport minister Mac Maharaj, former ANC spy Mo Shaik and former security police officer Karl Edwards.

Maharaj earlier supported claims that the ANC had investigated Ngcuka for allegedly spying for the apartheid government.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and the Weekend Argus.