The African National Congress will appoint an ad-hoc committee to draw up a "detailed factual report" on the arms deal, the party announced in Johannesburg on Tuesday. "We are not asking for the re-opening of the arms deal. We need to get a detailed formal report... to take informed decisions on what to do and locate this case and the charges against the president," part treasurer-general Mathews Phosa told journalists. "We have a duty to get information on the arms deal from all sources, particularly official sources." He said the report would not be made public.

The ad-hoc committee would include party deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, Phosa, Lindiwe Sisulu and Cyril Ramaphosa. The party's National Executive Committee (NEC) wanted the report because "we don't want to do thumb-sucking". ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said the committee would help the NEC understand the arms deal "on a much more informed basis".

ANC president Jacob Zuma faces trial in August on charges related to alleged corruption in South Africa's multi-billion rand arms deal. He is being charged alongside French arms company Thint.

At a press briefing on the 96th anniversary of the party's
establishment, and after the first meeting of its newly elected NEC, the ANC expressed "grave misgivings" about the timing of the National Prosecuting Authority's decision to recharge Zuma.

The case was struck off the roll at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in September 2006. Mantashe criticised the "Hollywood style" conduct of the NPA and said the party would support its leaders.

"The president of the ANC is going to fight this case with every sinew of his body," he said. Phosa said the ANC had an "obligation and a duty" to defend its leadership. He emphasised that there was no split between party and government policy.

"The ANC is the party that leads government. There's no division between government and the ANC." The party also said nothing should be read into President Thabo
Mbeki's absence from Monday's NEC meeting as interaction between party leaders was not just limited to formal meetings.

"He's an ex officio member of the structures of the movement... same as comrade Nelson Mandela. They are not obliged to attend. When they don't attend we don't read anything into that," said Phosa.

Mantashe said the new NEC had no scores to settle with anyone."The NEC will not support any factionalism or sectarianism."

The NEC also reaffirmed its support for Zuma as candidate for the presidency of the country in the 2009 elections.
The new 28-member National Working Committee, elected at Monday's NEC meeting, included Pallo Jordan, Jeff Radebe, Tony Yengeni, Fikile Mbalula, Lindiwe Sisulu, the NEC's top six and a representative each from the Womens' League and the Youth League.

Asked about the ANC's views on inflation targeting, Phosa said the party's national conference had drawn up a comprehensive economic transformation policy and one could not "just isolate one piece" of it.

Zuma was expected to present the NEC's annual statement at a national rally in celebration of the party's 96th anniversary in Pretoria on Saturday. Phosa said historically this speech would rally "all the [party's]
forces in a particular direction".

The arms deal referred to was one worth over R40 billion, the integrity of which was questioned by politician Patricia de Lille in the late 1990s.