South Africa's apartheid-era spies along with current state intelligence officers have been subpoenaed by the Hefer inquiry into allegations that Bulelani Ngcuka was a spy.

The move comes as parliament's powerful intelligence committee came out in defence of the state intelligence agencies which are refusing to co-operate with the probe.

At the same time, Deputy President Jacob Zuma has launched a fresh campaign against director of public prosecutions Ngcuka, by lodging a complaint with the Public Protector about its investigation into his finances.

Ngcuka was fingered by Mac Maharaj and Mo Shaik - both of whom were senior African National Congress (ANC) intelligence operatives under Zuma during the anti-apartheid struggle - charging that Ngcuka had been investigated for being an apartheid spy.

Zuma has not been subpoenaed, although the commission sent him a letter requesting his assistance.

Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) said it was alarmed by Judge Joos Hefer's decision to force intelligence agencies to hand over secret documents.

But the intelligence committee took a swipe at Maharaj and Shaik, saying the onus was on the accusers to prove their allegations.

"We believe that the intelligence and security services should not be embroiled in this matter and that those who have brought the matter into the public domain should provide the basis for their allegations to be tested by the commission without causing databases and files of the intelligence and security services to be inspected at a great risk to the constitutional mandate of these structures," the JSCI's chairperson, Siyabonga Cwele, said on Thursday.

A spokesperson for Ngcuka, Sipho Ngwema, said the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions had "always contended that it is the responsibility of Shaik and Maharaj to supply documents that prove their allegation.

"All these intelligence agencies report to cabinet ministers, so if there was such information proving that Ngcuka was a spy, the ministers would have provided that information to the cabinet."

Maharaj and Shaik are expected to give evidence on their allegations on November 17.

First up at the commission on Wednesday will be National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi, Police Intelligence Chief Commissioner Rayman Lala, his deputy Mphego, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Director Matibela, South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Secretary JB Masilela and SANDF Intelligence Chief General Pitso.

The commission plans to call City Press reporter Elias Maluleka, e.tv's editor-in-chief Joe Thloloe and former Sunday Times reporter Ranjeni Munusamy - even though a decision on her urgent application to be excused from testifying had not yet been handed down by the Bloemfontein High Court today.

Then will come the apartheid-era intelligence chiefs. Former police commissioner George Fivaz is not yet on the list.

Earlier this month he was approached to give evidence but due to availability of his legal team may only give evidence later. His predecessor, General Johan van der Merwe, has been called and so has a former member of the intelligence service Carl du Plessis.

Handler of RS452 Karl Edwards is up next. Human rights lawyer Vanessa Brereton has admitted that she was the agent with the number attributed to Ngcuka. James Taylor, who was part of a squad of policemen who blew up the ANC offices in London in 1982, will follow Edwards.

Two others on the list are Mike Kennedy - retired NIA deputy director-general who was involved in counter-intelligence and counter-espionage since the 1970s and Dr Niel Barnard, former director general of intelligence under FW de Klerk.

With acknowledgements to Jeremy Michaels, Staff Reporters and The Star.