"He's contributing to the debate, he's expressing a view," she told reporters in Johannesburg.

Last week, Mbeki said the African National Congress's current leadership was losing its ability to provide direction to South Africa.

"I... [am] deeply troubled by a feeling of great unease that our beloved motherland is losing its sense of direction, and that we are allowing ourselves to progress towards a costly disaster," he said.

He was delivering the Oliver Tambo memorial lecture at the University of Fort Hare, in the Eastern Cape.

Mbete declined to elaborate, and said: "It's nothing new."

She said the ANC would host the Third ANC International Solidarity Conference from Thursday to Sunday in Tshwane. The theme for the event is "United for a Progressive, Better World".

The ANC said the conference "is aimed at continuing to unite the like-minded people of the world for peace, solidarity and social transformation to create a world free of human rights abuses and creation of sustainable environments".

It would also celebrate former ANC president OR Tambo.

Representatives from Palestine, Sudan and South Sudan, Western Sahara and Cuba would make presentations.

Delegates would, among others things, examine the "struggle for the right to self-determination".

They would discuss the challenges facing Africa and reflect on Southern African liberation movements, and the meaning of the Arab uprising for Africa.

About 1000 delegates from around the world are expected to attend.

The first international solidarity conference was held in December 1987 in Arusha, Tanzania. Representatives from more than 60 countries considered the South African struggle against the apartheid regime.

The second conference took place in Johannesburg in February 1993, when around 900 delegates from about 70 countries discussed the contribution of international solidarity to the new South Africa.