The issue of how leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) and its alliance partners conduct themselves in public will top the agenda of the KwaZulu-Natal alliance summit, which began on Friday.

"The issue of unity and how leaders conduct themselves in the public will be one of the issues that we will discuss," said ANC provincial chairperson, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

He was addressing the media before the start of the conference in Durban.

The issue of how leaders should conduct themselves in public came under the spotlight when ANC Youth League President Julius Malema chased a BBC journalist out of a press conference.

Malema called Jonah Fisher a "bastard" and an "agent", before booting him out of the briefing.

Malema's behaviour was criticised by President Jacob Zuma and the ANC.

Mkhize said that the summit, attended by ANC, South African Communist Party (SACP), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African National Civic Organisation would also discuss the issue of unity between alliance partners.

There have been serious divisions among leaders of the alliance around the issue of the lifestyle audits pushed by Cosatu.

Mkhize said that relations between the alliance partners in KwaZulu-Natal were good.

"There are currently no divisions. This summit will among other things help to minimise sources of conflict."

His views were echoed by the SACP's James Nxumalo who said that the alliance was united.

"We are happy with in the manner the ANC is leading the alliance in this province. We are always consulted before decisions are taken," said Nxumalo.

The summit will finish on Saturday afternoon.