Independent Democrats (ID) leader Patricia de Lille is to ask for protection when she testifies against former Deputy President Jacob Zuma in his corruption trial next month.

De Lille said it was her duty to testify, despite her fears.

"They have VIP security, they put you in a special hotel ... I will most probably use it this time," De Lille said yesterday at the end of the ID's National Councillors Congress.

She believed Zuma's trial would be a lot more involved than that of his former financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, in which she had also been called to give evidence for the state. Shaik was found, among other things, to have had a "generally corrupt" relationship with Zuma.

"Zuma's trial is going to be a lot more complicated because of the political dimensions, the whole conspiracy theory in the ANC and the ethnic mobilisation around Jacob Zuma, but I will just have to bite the bullet and ... give my evidence.

"I want to do my duty as a citizen and leave it up to the judiciary to make a final judgment."

De Lille alleged in parliament in 1999 that even the highest office in the land, the presidency, was not above question in its actions around the multibillion-rand arms deal.

Turning to more immediate matters after the ID congress, De Lille said she would no longer allow the DA to twist ID policy for political gain.

"The by-election results in Tafelsig (last) week indicate that we must work harder to educate voters about our social democratic policies, thereby denying our opponents the opportunity to exploit fears among our races and misrepresent the ID among the people," she said.

The ID has established a national councillors' forum and a local government desk to co-ordinate its policy and strategy throughout the province.

"We must act to prove our independence and highlight the shortcomings of other parties without fear or favour," De Lille said.

She slammed the DA for accusing the ID of being in bed with the ANC, while the DA and ANC shared power in a number of councils.

DA spokesman Ryan Coetzee said this was only where the DA and ANC had won the same number of seats.

"The point the ID misses is this: the difference between the DA and the ID is that the DA did not say one thing in the election and then do another after the election."

With acknowledgement to Boyd Webb and Cape Times.