Durban – The ruling party’s failure to implement policy was a recurrent theme that African National Congress regions in KwaZulu-Natal agreed needed discussion at its provincial general council (PGC) over the weekend.
“The issue has been raised on failure of implementing decisions. We must manage time frames and actions of our leaders. There has been a failure, to some extent, to be able to implement,” said ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma during a media briefing in Durban on Wednesday.
The PGC will be held at the University of Zululand from 23 to 25 June, with more than 1400 delegates expected to attend.
The conference will be used to evaluate the work of the provincial executive committee since its election two years ago and will see the province “consolidate its perspective” for next week’s national policy conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg.
The Public Protector’s controversial declaration on changes to the country’s constitution to accommodate changes in the reserve bank may be discussed, according to Zuma.
“If delegates feel policy review discussion is needed, it will be discussed. Delegates are at liberty to propose new issues,” he said.
Zuma said it was not yet known which of the party’s top six leadership would attend the three-day conference.
KwaZulu-Natal, home to president Jacob Zuma, is the ANC’s largest province in terms of support and has unashamedly backed the president through numerous scandals. The province has been dubbed a king maker in deciding the future president of the party and country, and determining policy.
The succession race and leadership would be discussed “if it is in the policy document”, according to Zuma.
Economic transformation, education and health and other discussions would form part of commissions, he said, but the fate of the province’s health MEC, Sibongiseni Dhlomo, would not be discussed.
Dhlomo was singled out by the South African Human Rights Commission in a damning report released last week for his role in the collapse of the province’s oncology services. Zuma said Willies Mchunu, KZN premier, would be making an announcement “soon” on what was being done to “resolve the current challenges” in the health department.
Five hundred and eight KZN delegates would be attending the Nasrec conference, according to Zuma.