Cape Town - President Thabo Mbeki left for a state visit to Malaysia on Sunday without saying a word about the storm surrounding deputy president Jacob Zuma.

Zuma also left the country for a United Nations conference in Cuba.

Both Mbeki and Zuma will return to the country on Wednesday.

In three days of interaction with local communities as part of his Western Cape imbizo, Mbeki did not comment on the allegations of corruption or opposition parties' repeated calls for Zuma's resignation.

He earlier told journalists that he was in the Western Cape to speak to people at grassroots level and not to discuss the allegations against Zuma.

The DA again sharply criticised Mbeki for his silence.

"Mbeki's sphinx-like attitude regarding the future of his deputy does not encourage trust in the presidency or good governance," Sheila Camerer of the DA said.

"Mbeki obviously hopes that the Zuma problem will disappear if he ignores it. This will not happen."

DA leader Tony Leon said that debt was a huge problem in South Africa and that Zuma was clearly part of this problem as he paid off nearly R30 000 in debt every month according to the Scorpions' investigation.

He accused government of acting against ordinary South Africans for outstanding debt, but giving preferential treatment to ANC elite.

With acknowledgements to Willem Jordaan and Die Burger.