Ido Lekota
Ido Lekota
More than 1500 delegates will today convene at Gallagher Estate Conference Centre to attend the first session of the ANC policy conference.
The delegates, including 900 branch representatives, members of the ANC's regional, provincial and national structures, will spend four days discussing how best to accelerate the party's programme of building a better life for all.
Earlier this year the ANC released policy discussion documents relating to issues such as the party's economic policy, the kind of organisation structure it needs to achieve its mission, relations with sectors of society including business, civil society and the media.
ANC spokesman Smuts Ngonyama yesterday said the meeting was expected to produce draft resolutions, which would be referred back to the branches for further debate
"This process will culminate in the deliberations of the ANC's 52nd national conference in December," said Ngonyama.
While the conference is mainly expected to discuss policy, indications are that it would also debate who should be the next leader of the ANC.
Already several provinces have taken positions on the issue of two centres of power - which is linked to the succession debate.
Media reports have claimed that so far four provinces - KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Free State and Mpumalanga - have rejected the notion of two centres of power.
The two centres of power system is regarded by some ANC members as affording President Thabo Mbeki another term as ANC president.
This means Mbeki could be the president of the ANC, without breaching the country's constitution, which limits the country's presidency to two terms.
Ngonyama confirmed that though the issue of two centres of power was not included in the discussion documents, it would be on the agenda during the policy conference.
"It flows from the choices that people make when they consider possible leaders of the party," said Ngonyama.
lSee page 17
ANC to speed up delivery plan
Ido Lekota
Ido Lekota
More than 1500 delegates will today convene at Gallagher Estate Conference Centre to attend the first session of the ANC policy conference.
The delegates, including 900 branch representatives, members of the ANC's regional, provincial and national structures, will spend four days discussing how best to accelerate the party's programme of building a better life for all.
Earlier this year the ANC released policy discussion documents relating to issues such as the party's economic policy, the kind of organisation structure it needs to achieve its mission, relations with sectors of society including business, civil society and the media.
ANC spokesman Smuts Ngonyama yesterday said the meeting was expected to produce draft resolutions, which would be referred back to the branches for further debate
"This process will culminate in the deliberations of the ANC's 52nd national conference in December," said Ngonyama.
While the conference is mainly expected to discuss policy, indications are that it would also debate who should be the next leader of the ANC.
Already several provinces have taken positions on the issue of two centres of power - which is linked to the succession debate.
Media reports have claimed that so far four provinces - KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Free State and Mpumalanga - have rejected the notion of two centres of power.
The two centres of power system is regarded by some ANC members as affording President Thabo Mbeki another term as ANC president.
This means Mbeki could be the president of the ANC, without breaching the country's constitution, which limits the country's presidency to two terms.
Ngonyama confirmed that though the issue of two centres of power was not included in the discussion documents, it would be on the agenda during the policy conference.
"It flows from the choices that people make when they consider possible leaders of the party," said Ngonyama.
lSee page 17