ANC veteran Mosiuoa Lekota, who has announced the possibility of a breakaway political party, did not show up for a meeting with ANC leaders on Thursday.

"The African National Congress delegation led by the treasurer general, Mathews Phosa, waited from 10am for a pre-arranged meeting with comrade Terror Lekota," said Jessie Duarte.

"This meeting was confirmed telephonically and comrade Lekota undertook to attend.

"The ANC wishes to place on record that Mr Lekota failed to come to the meeting and did not notify the ANC about his unavailability," added Duarte.

Lekota, the former minister of defence who resigned alongside ousted former president Thabo Mbeki, on Wednesday announced that he may form a new party.

He criticised the leadership of the ANC elected at Polokwane in December, saying ANC president Jacob Zuma was leading the party "away from its principles".

Lekota said he was giving notice of his "divorce" from the ANC.

But Phosa responded and said he would meet with him on Thursday to try and resolve the differences.

"We are in the middle of the process of consultation... because a process based on anger and emotions is not part of our agenda," Phosa said on Wednesday.

This is the latest development in reports of a split in the ruling party, sparked by Mbeki's removal from office by the national executive committee of the ANC.

Some cabinet ministers and Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa have since resigned out of loyalty to Mbeki.

Lekota implied that a new political party would soon be formed, but stopped short of announcing it, instead saying a decision would be made at a national convention within the next four weeks.

Sapa