Charges have not yet been formulated against the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) or its president Julius Malema, ANC deputy secretary-general Thandi Modise said on Tuesday.

At a media briefing in Johannesburg, she said that the "matter was on the table" and it was being looked at internally by the ANC.

A disciplinary committee would investigate and decide whether charges would be brought against Malema, and if so, what charges.

This followed an official meeting on Monday during which the ANCYL made a submission on the charges against its president to the ANC's top six officials.

Modise said that the ANC had "preferred" charges against the ANCYL president, but added that issues of discipline in the party were not matters for public or media scrutiny.

Malema came under fire for publicly backing Zimbabwe's Zanu-PF. President Jacob Zuma is leading mediation efforts to restore that country's fragile unity government.

Modise said that the leadership of the ANC also took issue with Malema saying that former President Thabo Mbeki was better than Zuma.

The ANCYL explained itself to the leadership on that matter and "clarified" the context of that statement.

"The relationship between the ANC and its youth league is not as rebutive as the media portrays it," said Modise.

Modise also said that Malema had apologised for verbally attacking and kicking a BBC reporter out of its media briefing, Malema called reporter Jonah Fisher a "bastard" and an "agent".

Timeframes for the disciplinary committee would only kick in once charges were formulated.