THE ANC has been hit by a cash crisis threatening to derail its plans to modernise by, among other things, recruiting professional staff at Luthuli House, its headquarters.

This is contained in a document due to be released for discussion ahead of the party's policy conference in June.

Although the document on organisational renewal does not reveal the extent of the crisis, it acknowledges that the ANC may have difficulties in financing some of its new plans.

The document is calling for steps to professionalise and modernise the operations of the ANC.

"Progressive modern management methods should be introduced in the running of ANC offices," it says.

"Over the next decade, we strive to build an advanced cadre of well trained, professionally competent, decently paid and highly motivated functionaries of the organisation at all levels ..."

Other proposals are that responsibilities of ANC officials be clarified and that national working committee (NWC) members be elected by the national conference.

Some of them have to be full-time in the office of the secretary general, heading different departments.

The ANC officials include its president, deputy president, secretary general, treasurer and chairman.

The document proposes that the ANC constitution be amended so that the officials are a leadership collective with clear "collective responsibilities and accountabilities".

It says the current constitution describes the role of the officials only as individuals. It further says the office of the secretary general be beefed up with six new departments headed by NWC members.

The document proposes that the departmental heads be elected by national conference as full-time secretariat, work under the secretary general and also be members of the NWC.

The difficulty, according to the document, is that the new full-time NWC members may be seen as a super structure that could undermine the powers of the national executive committee.

The paper proposes the restructuring of provincial and regional offices. It says provinces should elect three full-time members to head the organisation and building political education and cadre development. Currently, the regional offices have two members heading grassroots work and political education.

Should the proposals be accepted by the policy conference, they will further be discussed at the national conference and will be implemented if adopted. To beef up the party's coffers, the document is proposing increased funding of political parties by the Independent Electoral Commission. It also says the ANC will have to diversity its investment portfolio to raise funds.

Members will also be required to contribute according to theirabilities.