/ 6 October 2006

No clarity on Zuma’s attendance at ANC meeting

It was still unclear at lunch on Friday whether African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Jacob Zuma and President Thabo Mbeki would both attend the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting on the weekend.

The NEC will meet behind closed doors for three days at Esselen Park on Gauteng’s East Rand starting on Friday, amid questions about a possible rift between Zuma and Mbeki.

Spokesperson for the ruling party could not be contacted on Friday morning.

Zuma’s aide Ranjeni Munsamy could also not be contacted.

An official in Zuma’s party office said she would ”not discuss the programmes and whereabouts of her principals”.

On Thursday night Zuma was mum on whether he would attend.

Speaking from his home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, he said: ”I am not answering that question.”

The ANC deputy president said he did not want the media to ”be speculating” on his attendance at the meeting. — Sapa