President Thabo Mbeki and his African National Congress deputy Jacob Zuma are expected to update the party's top officials on Monday about the progress made in discussing their differences.

The ANC's national working committee might also decide on the date for a special national executive committee meeting, after the pair asked the last meeting, as well as the party's alliance partners, for a chance to sort out what they termed substantive issues.

During a bilateral meeting with the South African Communist Party (SACP) on Monday - in which both Mbeki and Zuma were said to have been present - the ANC told its alliance partner that the two leaders were talking to each other and that the ruling party was still committed to a broader alliance solution.

If they come up with a solution to the tense stalemate caused by Mbeki firing Zuma and the subsequent corruption charges against him, this will minimise tension in the alliance and the ruling party that has boiled over.

Cosatu, the SACP and some Zuma supporters in the ANC were ready for a battle in what they described as a calculated plot to ostracise Zuma.

If there is no compromise coming from Mbeki and Zuma's discussions, Mbeki's suggestion of a commission to probe rumours of a political conspiracy could be thrown out of the window by both partners, who decided to shelve the issue pending the outcome of the pair's meeting.

It would also fire up pro-Zuma supporters like the ANC Youth League, which was recently calmed by Zuma and Mbeki's decision to work together.

The league's containment will be tested when Zuma appears in the Durban High Court on October 11, as Cosatu has called for demonstrations - activities which were also approved by the ANC during the alliance secretariat meeting.

With acknowledgements to Moshoeshoe Monare and The Star.