The ANC has taken aim at foreign "imperialist forces" in a strongly worded statement which condemns the US, Germany, UK, Netherlands and Switzerland for expressing concern over corruption in South Africa.

The statement, released on Monday, comes in response to reports by the Sunday Times that President Cyril Ramaphosa was warned by the five world powers to take a "clear, unqualified and manifest political commitment to the rule of law".

"The ANC has noted with deep concern the interference by the Western imperialist forces like the USA, UK, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland into the affairs of South Africa. South Africa is a sovereign state and has always respected the laws of these imperialist countries," the party said.

"The ANC condemns this dramatic holier-than-thou stance of these former colonisers and we would not like to relate to them on the history of master-slave relations."