COSATU and the ANC have smoked the peace pipe, only days before the ruling party's much-awaited national general council.

Tensions arose between the two parties during the public sector strike with Cosatu leaders and protesters launching scathing attacks on President Jacob Zuma and Public Administration Minister Richard Baloyi.

The attacks on Zuma were seen by many observers as a foretaste of how his leadership would be challenged at the NGC.

But following a meeting on Monday Cosatu yesterday apologised to the ANC for the conduct of its members during the strike.

The ANC said it accepted the apology.

The two parties have also agreed that the focus of the NGC should be on policy issues, and not on the leadership squabbles.

"Both formations are committed to ensure that the NGC, as a policy forum, retains its intended focus, which is to review progress in taking forward the movement's policies, and does not get diverted by divisive issues such as the untimely 2012 leadership question," the organisations said.

The move appeared to be an attempt to avoid a repeat of the 2007 Polokwane conference, which was dominated by a leadership tussle between former president Thabo Mbeki and present ANC president Zuma, which overshadowed the policy issues delegates had to tackle then.

"In this regard we agreed that both organisations must create an atmosphere where such discussions will be conducted in a positive environment," ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said yesterday.