The appearance of Pan Africanist Congress MP Patricia de Lille and the party's secretary-general Thami ka Plaatjie before the arms deal investigating team has been postponed. 

Directorate of Public Prosecutions spokesperson Sipho Mgwema said on Thursday the meeting was now expected to take place "in early May". 

De Lille and Plaatjie were on Wednesday served a summons by the investigating team to disclose information on South Africa's controversial R43-billion arms deal. They were expected to report to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka in Pretoria at 2pm on Friday. 

PAC had always wanted an extensive investigation 

The move follows recent claims that the party has evidence linking senior African National Congress officials to irregularities in the arms deal. 

PAC President Stanley Mogoba said in a statement the party would not reveal the identity of any person implicated in the deal to the media "in the near future". However, this did not mean the party was not prepared to co-operate with the investigating team. 

The PAC had always wanted an extensive investigation into the deal. 

"The PAC always said that we will co-operate with legitimate investigations whether they be public or private and our legal team will be contacting the offices of Bulelani Ngcuka to make the arrangements to postpone the matter to a convenient date. 

Pass the names to selected media organisations 

"Whilst the PAC are aware of the identity of people, it is not our place to reveal it." 

Mogoba challenged the investigating team to disclose whether other persons whose names had appeared in the media concerning allegations of wrongdoing had also summonsed. 

These included ANC Chief Whip Tony Yengeni; former Defence Minister Joe Modise; retired South African Defence Force General and Modise's brother-in-law Lambert Moloi, and government's chief procurement officer Chippy Shaik. 

He criticised the lack of action on the investigation, saying the PAC had made public information on the arms deal two years ago. 

The ANC was attempting to "victimise and villify" the party in order to distract the public and the media. 

De Lille was one of the first to allege corruption in the arms deal, and has been vocal in her support for a thorough investigation into allegations of corruption. 

At the party's weekend conference, she indicated that the name of a senior ANC MP linked to the deal would be made public soon. She said the nation "would be shocked" when the PAC made the announcement. 

The PAC on Tuesday decided not to the name ANC officials apparently implicated in irregularities surrounding the arms deal. However, it said that before the end of this week "some very senior members of this government will fall". 

Plaatjie said at the time the party would pass the names to selected media organisations and independent investigators for in-depth investigation and to confirm the allegations. 

The PAC has also in the past expressed concern about whether the investigating agencies probing the allegations would be qualified - in the absence of the Heath Special Investigating Unit - to conduct a thorough investigation. 

The investigating team also filed a complaint with the Western Cape Public Prosecutor Frank Kahn to consider instituting criminal prosecutions against Noseweek editor Martin Welz. 

The team - which includes the offices of the Auditor General, the Public Protector and National Directorate of Public Prosecutions - said in a statement a recent claim made in the magazine that certain members of the investigating agencies had attended a secret meeting on the deal were "devoid of all truth" and "defamatory". 

"Such statements seek to undermine the authority of the three institutions involved and to jeopardise the investigation," it said. 

Kahn on Thursday declined to comment on the issue. 

With acknowledgment to Sapa and Independent Online.