Johannesburg - ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma on Saturday lashed out at the media, accusing them of acting in bad faith, SABC radio news reported.

The report said Zuma expressed his outrage at recent media reports, which suggested he was using public addresses to attack those perceived to have mounted a political campaign to discredit him.

This came after a Johannesburg-based weekly newspaper on Friday claimed Zuma confessed to Cosatu and SA Communist Party bosses, that he had had consensual sex with a woman he reportedly raped.

The report said that Zuma urged the media to be sensitive in the way it reports.

Meanwhile, the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) distanced itself from the newspaper report.

Cosatu also denied being part of a reported meeting at Zuma's Nkandla home, where it was agreed he would not resign before Cosatu's 20th birthday celebrations, which he was scheduled to address.

"We condemn particularly the downright lie that the Cosatu president (Willie Madisha) and general secretary (Zwelinzima Vavi) had a meeting with the ANC deputy president (Zuma), at which he said he had consensual sex, but (had) not committed rape," Cosatu said.

Conniving with 'faceless charlatans'

"Neither Cosatu, nor any of its leaders were ever part of any meeting, at Nkandla or anywhere else, where it was agreed - as suggested in the Mail and Guardian - that the ANC deputy president should not resign from his position until after the 20th anniversary celebrations of Cosatu (on Sunday)...

"If indeed there are people within the federation who are his genuine sources (which we doubt) it would be a clear case of charlatans hell-bent on destroying the very movement they claim to lead.

"The journalist concerned was either creating a story in order to increase the sales of the Mail and Guardian, or was conniving with 'faceless charlatans' to damage the federation and Zuma," Cosatu concluded.

It has been reported that Zuma faces a complaint of rape, made by a friend of the family, and that the matter has been forwarded by police to the National Prosecuting Authority for consideration on how to proceed.

Zuma, who has also been indicted on corruption charges, believes there is a conspiracy against him.

He has received support from Cosatu on the corruption charges, but the union body has adopted a wait-and-see approach to the rape complaint.

According to the Mail and Guardian report, Zuma decided not to resign after a meeting with Vavi, Madisha and the SA Communist Party's Blade Nzimande.

He was also reported to have told the alliance leaders that the woman was his girlfriend and that everybody in the family knew about the relationship.

With acknowledegments to Sapa and News24.