The ANC on Wednesday started a national round of pre-policy briefing workshops ahead of next month’s crucial elective conference, with a lot of focus expected to be on the contentious step-aside resolution.
A memo from acting secretary-general Paul Mashatile to all provincial secretaries and political education co-ordinators states that the party’s policy unit is rolling out the pre-conference briefing session for branches.
ANC insiders said delegates would use the December conference to question why only the contentious and controversial step-aside policy was prioritised from among all the resolutions passed at the 2017 conference.
At its 2017 conference, the ANC resolved that members facing allegations of corruption and crime must step aside.
Last year, Ramaphosa said leaders charged with corruption and wrongdoing must voluntarily step aside within 30 days or risk being suspended.
Critics of the current ANC leadership, under the stewardship of Ramaphosa, say the party has failed to implement other 2017 conference resolutions aimed at radically transforming the lives of the people.
The proponents of radical economic transformation in the party say that the lack of implementation of the 2017 policies on land reform and the use of state banks to promote economic development have left branch delegates frustrated and have created a trust deficit between them and the party leadership.
Party insiders said that the policies were aimed trying to offset the increasing unemployment in the country and there was growing frustration that jobs continued to be shed because the policies had not been addressed
The one-day workshop will focus on key proposals from the recent policy conference to deal with organisational renewal and the challenges faced by the ANC in elections and in government.
The workshop will also look at proposed party constitutional changes, the workings of the elective conference and the rights of branches, and the rules for the leadership election process from the electoral committee.