The African National Congress (ANC) could have a “consultative conference” aimed at putting the party “back together” as early as December‚ Mavuso Msimang said on Tuesday.

Msimang was one of the 101 ANC veterans who met to address a “deep crisis” with the party’s leadership on Monday in Irene.

He told Radio 702 that everyone present agreed on “one key thing: that to put the organisation back we need to consult as many people as possible‚ which is why we called for the conference”.

Asked whether any he expected positive results from such an engagement‚ Msimang said: “You know‚ you don’t exchange in these things unless you have expectations and beliefs that things can change.

“I think it is naïve to think that by December things will be hunky dory‚ absolutely not.

“The important thing‚ the objective of yesterday’s meeting‚ was: let’s get a credible group of people together with the NEC to sit down and call in all stakeholders.”

Such a meeting‚ Msimang said‚ would have to have “clear agenda”‚ which should include talks about “how we elect the leadership of the ANC”.

In April‚ Msimang‚ a former director-general of Home Affairs‚ was among the party stalwarts and civil society figures who announced plans for mass action after President Jacob Zuma refused to resign after the Constitutional Court judgment on Nkandla.

Despite this‚ Msimang said he and the president “shared smiles and exchanged greetings” after Monday’s meeting.

He also said it was Zuma who insisted the consultative conference should be held as quickly as possible. – TMG Digital