PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma launched the ANC's one million membership recruitment drive, called the M-Plan, at Lilliesleaf Farm, Johannesburg, yesterday.

Zuma said the plan was named after Nelson Mandela's famous M-Plan, which was an underground recruitment campaign during the repressive government in 1950.

He said the party had registered 914852 members, but he warned that "we have to ensure that our growth in numbers does not change the character of the ANC".

The recruitment campaign would rest on two pillars - a massive recruitment of new members and political education.

"The campaign will teach our members to adhere to the principles of unity, selfless service, collective leadership, democratic centralism, internal debates, humility, honesty, hard work, constructive criticism and self-criticism," Zuma said.

A dedicated team would interact with ANC structures and revive memberships that have lapsed and to recruit new members.

"The mobilisation campaign is in line with the resolution of the 1942 ANC national conference, which directed that the ANC must have one million members."

Zuma travelled to Qunu yesterday to report to Mandela that the organisation was growing.

He said the ANC would be more grateful with people joining the party in large numbers because of its good policies. He said this was also good for the country.