Cape Town - The top decision-making structure of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), the national working committee, says any suggestions that the ANC is divided over allegations of corruption or apartheid-era spying are wrong.

But the party structure said it took "a dim view" of the fact that knowledge of Justice Minister Penuell Maduna's decision to quit his post - at the next national election - had been gleaned from the media.

ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said in a statement released to the media on Tuesday: "The ANC trusts that Maduna will advise the organisation of his position through the appropriate organisational channels."

This follows the appointment of the Hefer inquiry into alleged apartheid-era spying. It will look at allegations that the National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka was a spy and whether Maduna had abused his official powers.

Maduna, in announcing that he would quit as minister, told a weekend newspaper that the ANC was being "torn apart" by allegations that Ngcuka had been an apartheid spy.

After its meeting in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Ngonyama said the working committee had considered "a number of recent events and media reports" and the leadership and membership of the party "remains firmly united around the important task of working with the people to push back the frontiers of poverty".

"The ANC is united in its conviction that allegations of corruption against any individual should be thoroughly investigated by the relevant State agencies without fear or favour."

The ANC said it was also "unanimous in its endorsement" of the principle that a person should be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

"While the barrage of different and sometimes contradictory reports may have led to some confusion within the ranks of the movement, anyone who knows the ANC will realise that an issue of this nature is simply incapable of dividing the movement."

Ngonyama reported that the ANC "is still in the process of selecting its candidates for the 2004 election" - expected to take place early in the year - "during which there will be a formal opportunity for all nominees to accept or decline nomination".

"Once the election has been held, and the President invites people to join the new cabinet, these people will similarly have an opportunity to accept or decline the invitation."

Maduna's spokesperson also indicated in Afrikaans newspapers on Tuesday that the justice minister intended leaving parliament at the next election.

With acknowledgements to I-Net Bridge and News24.