Rumours that Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe's plane crashed after taking off from Libya were untrue, the presidency said on Tuesday.

"The presidency has received a number of media enquiries about rumours that the deputy president's plane has crash-landed on its way from Tripoli, Libya," it said in a statement.

"The presidency would like to put it on record that these rumours are not correct." "The plane was due to land in Bangui in the Central Africa Republic for refuelling. Due to bad weather, the plane was unable to land and was diverted to Gbadolite in the Democratic Republic of Congo," the presidency said.