The ANC national executive committee (NEC) holds a strong view that there is no need to reconfigure the tripartite alliance.

The alliance is between the ANC, the SACP and Cosatu as well as SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco).

Sowetan understands that during a special NEC meeting on Saturday, a political education team led by David Masondo presented a document on the reconfiguration of the alliance and meeting debated it.

"We were very clear at the meeting that the ANC remain the leader of the alliance. We will not agree to a situation where we share power equally otherwise they must contest power," an NEC member who attended the meeting said.

Following the meeting, the ANC released a statement, saying it had a deep historical roots, founded in the common Struggle against apartheid colonialism and for the building of a national democratic society with its alliance partners.

"The NEC noted that since 54th national conference, our coordination mechanism with the alliance plus Sanco has functioned well, with regular meetings of the alliance secretariat and of the political council.

"In preparations for an alliance summit before the end of this year, the ANC is discussing the future: including the minimum common programme that unites the alliance and the role of each partner in the alliance," the statement read.

The SACP has come out publicly to say they want same powers as ANC in the state and be part of any decision making otherwise it would consider contesting elections.

The SACP argued that they help campaign for ANC during the elections.

Meanwhile, the meeting took a resolution that those implicated in the VBS Mutual Bank should be prosecuted if they were found to have benefitted unduly.

"The NEC affirms its dismay with the impact of the VBS issues on the lives of ordinary people across the country, but especially in Limpopo and Vhembe, and restated its position that those found guilty of wrong doing must face the wrath of the law." The NEC has, however, referred the VBS saga to the national working committee to deal with the matter.

Following finance minister Tito Mboweni remarks at the investor conference in the United States that South African Airways should be shut down, the NEC disagreed with him.

"It was reiterated that there is no intention to shut down South African Airways. The focus now is on decisively tackling the challenges besetting the national carrier," said ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule said.