Cape Town - At least one member of the Tripartite alliance rejected President Thabo Mbeki's proposal to investigate an "alleged plot" against Jacob Zuma on Sunday.

"We don't need a commission of inquiry, the alliance can address such issues," said Kaiser Mohau, an SACP spokesperson.

Cosatu, the other member of the alliance, will decide on Wednesday whether they support the proposal.

Mohau also criticised Mbeki's decision to propose the commission. "He cannot just make these proposals. Not even the ANC knew about it.

"No outsider should monitor us. If he wanted to propose it, he should have done so at the alliance's conference. But he didn't even attend it.

"This is a commission by the president for the president - what value would it have for us?" Mohau asked.

ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said the alliance's secretariat would have to decide about Mbeki's proposal.

He said the secretariat would study the resolutions of last week's meeting, during which Mbeki's proposal was read.

Amid indications that the alliance would meet about the Zuma issue this week, Ngonyama said he did not know when the next meeting would take place and would not say whether Mbeki and Zuma would attend it, despite both leaders being requested at last week's meeting to attend the next meeting.

"Their attendance will depend on their respective programmes," Ngonyama said.

Cosatu president Willie Madisha said he "expects the president and the deputy president to attend the next meeting".

ANC members said on Sunday that Mbeki - who is on leave until Wednesday - would this week give his undivided attention to the crisis the Zuma dispute has caused among the members of the alliance.

Presidency spokesperson Murphy Morobe said he did not know whether Mbeki had any ANC matters on his agenda this week.

Cosatu secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi said Mbeki's proposal would be discussed by the union's central committee on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the ANC Youth League said it was "not surprised" by the president's proposal to establish an internal commission of inquiry into the alleged plot against Zuma.

Spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the Youth League would discuss Mbeki's proposal this week.

"The proposal is the president's way of handling the issue," Kodwa said.

"But it is still only a proposal, and we will still decide whether it should be accepted."

He said the Youth League did not support Cosatu's call on Mbeki to ensure that the charges against Zuma be dropped.

"We feel Zuma has the right to a fair trial and that is what he should get."

The Sunday Times reported that government spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe, one of Mbeki's confidantes, warned at last week's meeting against a plot in the Zuma camp, with the suspended deputy president's supporters allegedly already eyeing positions in a Zuma cabinet.

Netshitenzhe would not comment yesterday, saying the meeting was confidential. Ngonyama also refused to comment.

With acknowledgements to Mandy Rossouw, Willem Jordaan and the Beeld.