The ANC must investigate the spy allegations against some of its senior leaders which have surfaced in the evidence presented by former president Jacob Zuma.

This is the view of former cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister Des van Rooyen as he reflected on Zuma’s evidence given on Monday.

Van Rooyen on Tuesday morning said he was shocked at some of the names that were mentioned by Zuma as having worked with the apartheid government as spies in the ANC.

“These are very sensitive revelations. Many people lost their lives. Those that we led lost their lives because of informers. To have such people being labeled informers is a very serious allegation. These people were given responsibilities in government and the ANC. It tells that our revolution was not in safe hands,” Van Rooyen said.

“Personally I think the ANC must treat this matter seriously. The ANC must set up a platform to probe all these allegation urgently. If these allegations are true, we can’t continue having comrades who worked as informers among ourselves being at a driving seat of our national democratic revolution.”

Van Rooyen’s reaction follows Zuma’s testimony at the state capture commission where he said that former public service and administration minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi was a spy. Ramatlhodi has rejected this and offered to do a lie detector test in public.

Zuma’s second appearance on Tuesday was a lot quieter, with little to no supporters outside the venue. By the time the commission commenced its day, the police outside had little to do as the crowd attending on Monday was nowhere to be seen.

People had come from different structures of the ANC including the Radical Economic Transformation Champions, party branches from Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal as well as student movement Cosas. The latter raised eyebrows as it had, among them, pupils in school uniform to show their support. 

On Monday, Zuma also enjoyed support from his usual backers including former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo, MK Military Veterans Association president Kebby Maphatsoe and former cabinet ministers Faith Muthambi and Des van Rooyen. Mahumapelo yesterday told a roaring crowd gathered at a nearby park that the "nine wasted Zuma years" narrative was false and sought to tarnish the former president’s legacy.

Tuesday’s proceedings were also supported by another Zuma ally, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule.