Johannesburg: South Africa President Thabo Mbeki snubbed the first all-important meeting of the ruling ANC today where the newly elected executive council was to discuss among others, graft charges levelled against its President Jacob Zuma.

"(Thabo) Mbeki is not in today's meeting," African National Congress spokesman, Tiyani Rikhotso told AFP outside the meeting venue, east of Johannesburg without going into details.

Mbeki, who was trounced by his arch-foe Zuma during the recent elections for the party presidency, also failed to use his position as an ex-officio member to attend the party s executive meeting held on Friday. The meeting today elected the 28-member of the party's National Executive Committee, whose names will only be made known tomorrow.

"The names of the Working Committee and other issues discussed in the meeting will only be made known tomorrow. We are also expecting to brief the media on the outcomes and decisions taken on some issues here today (Monday), even though we are not totally obliged to do so. That will be decided at the end of the meeting, if it s necessary or not," added Rikhotso.

The secretary-general of the ANC had indicated to the AFP that corruption charges against party's embattled President Zuma and how much support he should be given were expected to be discussed at the meeting attended by the 86 members of the ruling party's highest decision-making body.

Source : PTI