Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini has urged the ANC to be firm on the demand for radical economic transformation.

Dlamini - considered a staunch supporter of outgoing ANC president Jacob Zuma - said the trade union federation would closely monitor that the party makes good on its 2012 resolution for economic transformation.

"What is critical for Cosatu is the policies that will be decided here. We look forward that you should be firm on radical economic transformation. It is not a new resolution. We will monitor it‚" said Dlamini.

He also called for the roll-out of the National Health Insurance (NHI‚ which is aimed at making healthcare accessible to poor South Africans).

SA Communist Party leader Blade Nzimande reiterated the necessity of the ANC‚ arguing that it was the only organisation that could properly serve black people.

"South Africa needs the ANC. Firstly‚ the ANC is the only organisation that is capable of realising the dreams and aspirations of black people."

Nzimande thanked ANC delegates for "understanding" that the SACP needed to address them in an open session.

This follows a proposal on Saturday by ANC Youth League KwaZulu-Natal secretary Thanduxulo Sabelo that messages from alliance partners be heard in a closed session.

It is believed that some delegates wanted to use the opportunity to heckle‚ especially SACP representatives‚ following the latter party’s very public criticism of the ANC and its outgoing leader President Jacob Zuma.

Matters between the ANC and its alliance partners reached boiling point when in May Cosatu members booed Zuma at a May Day rally in Bloemfontein in the Free State.

Cosatu also banned Zuma from addressing its events.