With just a week to go before his trial, ANC president Jacob Zuma has said that undermining the independence of the judiciary is a threat to democracy.

But he cautioned that judges should not open themselves to scandalous criticism.

In an interview, Zuma said there was no threat from the ANC to the independence of the judiciary.

"The ANC fought for an independent judiciary and it continues to do so," he said, adding that a democratic country had to respect the independence of the judiciary.

"The ANC will defend the independence of the judiciary to the end," said Zuma, who is facing corruption charges indirectly related to the arms deal in the Pietermaritzburg High Court next week.

He declined to comment on any issue pertaining to the controversial arms procurement programme, given the pending case against him.

On the other hand, he said there should be a review of systems regulating tender processes, to end corruption.

"It (tenders) is one of the issues that is going to test the cadres of the ANC," he said.

The ANC needed to decide how to handle tenders, and who would handle them.

"How do we avoid tenders that are done underhand(edly) so that we (can) reduce the level of corruption?

"But where there is corruption as well, we need to move swiftly to deal with it.

"I think we need to shorten the process of dealing with corruption because the lengthier the period, the more it remains … maybe we might come to that point (of reviewing tender systems).

"We (have) to accept that tenders have caused a problem and, therefore, (ask whether) the systems that are being utilised are adequate and correct," he said.

The ANC and the government had failed to implement a cooling-off period to avoid conflict of interests for politicians and civil servants leaving the government to pursue business interests in the same field.

Zuma said "we need to move with speed" to implement the cooling-off period.

"There must be a cooling off period so that we don't have a situation which advantages other people unfairly.

"It must not also totally disadvantage people. That is why I am saying it needs to be looked at," he said.

Meanwhile, he said that the fact that the ANC was contemplating starting its own newspaper should not be treated with suspicion, because the party needed its own voice.

He said the media climate and commercial pressure had forced the media to ignore successes of the party and the government.

"At times you don't report the successes of the ANC. What dominates the papers is sensation, criticism. We want to tell the story. Why should the media fear this?

"We want to inform the public in details. If the newspapers have not helped us in the last 15 years, let's have something that will inform the people," he said.

With acknowledgements to Moshoeshoe Monare and Cape Argus.