Former president Jacob Zuma accused his former minister of both mining and public service Ngoako Ramatlhodi of being a spy who was working against him.
The former president was appearing before the state capture commission on Monday.
Ramatlhodi has denied the allegation.
Zuma told the commission about a plot to discredit and even assassinate him. He also alleged that some within the ANC were spies.
Zuma did not mention any names except for Ramatlhodi’s.
Ramatlhodi appeared at the commission in 2018, when he testified about Zuma’s “toxic” relationship with the Guptas.
Zuma took exception to Ramatlhodi’s testimony.
He questioned how Ramatlhodi could have said he had “auctioned off” the country.
“What made comrade Ngoako to say what he said here? He is carrying out an instruction. He was recruited when he was a student in Lesotho to be a spy and he finds it comfortable to come here,” Zuma told the commission.
Ramatlhodi told Business Day that Zuma was making a serious allegation, and said the former president must be ready to subject himself to a lie-detector test.
Ramatlhodi said he would be willing to take such a test, and that this should be done in public before the commission.
“We must both go to the commission and be tested. They must bring in professionals. That will answer the question. Now it will be my word against him,” Ramatlhodi said.
“I want the experts to be there to test what he is saying and what I am saying.”
He said Zuma’s accusation was done in retaliation to his testimony to the commission.
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