The African National Congress is maintaining silence on the outcome of its two-day National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which extended late into a third day on Sunday.
A report on ways to heal rifts in the party and the rape allegations against axed Deputy-President Jacob Zuma are believed to have been on the agenda.
The ANC National Working Committee (NWC) on Monday approved the report, authored by President Thabo Mbeki and axed deputy president Jacob Zuma.
”The ANC will tomorrow [Monday]… hold a press briefing on the outcomes of its national executive committee (NEC) meeting currently taking place in Kempton Park, Gauteng,” the party said in a short statement on Sunday afternoon.
The briefing will be held at Luthuli House from 11am.
”Until then, the ANC will not have any comment on the proceedings of the NEC meeting,” the party said.
Meanwhile, a courtesy call on President Thabo Mbeki by King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal at 4.30pm on Sunday was postponed until further notice.
The NEC was scheduled to meet on Friday and Saturday at Esselen Park, in Kempton Park, on the East Rand. ANC spokesperson Steyn Speed would not comment on why the NEC was meeting for a third day.
Tensions have arisen in the ANC over accusations by Zuma supporters that he is the victim of a campaign to prevent him from succeeding Mbeki as president.
This, following his dismissal earlier in the year, and charges brought against him after the corruption and fraud conviction of his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik.
The NWC said the report it discussed at Monday’s meeting captured the substance of interactions between the president and deputy president of the party over the last two months.
The NEC mandated Mbeki and Zuma to draft the report on September 9.
It is not clear whether the NEC discussed what action to take over an alleged rape charge against Zuma during its weekend meeting.
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) radio reported that sources within the NEC told it the allegations were being discussed, but this could not be independently confirmed.
The Sunday Times and Sunday Independent reported that apparent confirmation of the charge had polarised the meeting and widened the gap between the Zuma and Mbeki camps.
Citing two unnamed sources, The Sunday Independent reported that police took blood samples from Zuma for DNA testing this week.
However, the Sunday Times reported that police were reluctant to approach Zuma for a sample until DNA tests had been done on semen found on the woman’s underwear.
The police have steadfastly refused to confirm whether they are investigating a charge against Zuma, even though the Beeld newspaper claimed on Saturday the case number was 312/11/2005.
The SABC reported on Saturday that Johannesburg police had confirmed that this case number involved a rape allegation, but would not elaborate.
Speaking to the South African Press Association on Saturday, national police spokeswoman Director Sally De Beer would not say anything about the case number.
”We are not going to confirm this case number. I cannot speculate on where the Beeld got the case number from,” De Beer said.
According to Beeld, the complainant is a 31-year-old, HIV-positive Aids activist who regards Zuma as a father figure.
An unidentified police officer confirmed to the newspaper that the police were investigating a charge laid on November 4 at the Hillbrow police station, a day after the alleged offence at Zuma’s house in Forest Town, Johannesburg.
It had furthermore learnt that the woman, who contracted HIV after being raped some years ago, had a nervous breakdown after news of the new rape allegation was published and had considered withdrawing the charge. She was in police protection.
Zuma’s supporters have dismissed the rape allegation ‒ which surfaced in the Sunday Times last week — as part of the smear campaign it believes is being waged against Zuma. – Sapa