Media speculation about why ANC chairwoman Baleka Mbete was not sworn in as an MP last week was "distorted", she said on Tuesday.

"I do understand the stir... but it also caused an opportunity to distort what actually took place," Mbete told SABC radio.

She said she was not sworn in last Wednesday because there had been "incomplete discussions" with senior African National Congress officials on Tuesday evening which included President Jacob Zuma.

"We were three officials that had a discussion on Tuesday evening, including the president.

"We had discussions which was incomplete by Wednesday morning. We were talking of finalising our views on the future of some senior leaders in the ANC.

"We needed to complete this exercise," said Mbete, declining to give further details of the discussions.

Mbete, who was the deputy of former caretaker president Kgalema Motlanthe, caused a stir last week when she did not take the oath as expected.

Several media speculated that she was hoping to secure the position of deputy president in Zuma's cabinet, ahead of Motlanthe.

But Mbete denied that she had had her eye on the deputy presidency.

"It was always known that was an interim [position]," she said.

Mbete said she was happy with the decision, announced on Friday, that she would work full-time at Luthuli House.

"There's a lot of work I have to do," she said.