Phosa, Lekota prepare for meet

2008-10-13 09:15

Johannesburg - ANC treasurer general Mathews Phosa will meet former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota on Monday morning in a reconciliation attempt, an official said.

Today's [Monday's] meeting is scheduled to take place at 10:00," said African National Congress spokesperson Brian Sokutu.

Lekota last week apparently snubbed Phosa who said he had waited for him to attend a scheduled meeting on Thursday morning.

But the former ANC chairperson, who has said he may start a new political party, did not show up.

Asked if Lekota had explained why he did not attend the Thursday meeting, Sokutu said: "There wasn't any formal response that we got from him... we will see what will come out of this meeting."

Lekota at the weekend attended a public meeting of an ANC faction in the Western Cape disgruntled with the national and provincial leadership of the ruling party.

Lekota was one of a string of cabinet ministers who resigned after the ANC's national executive committee decided to remove former president Thabo Mbeki from office.

Newspapers on Monday morning suggested that former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa, who resigned from his position out of loyalty to Mbeki, was set to join Lekota in a new party.

- SAPA