Johannesburg - The ANC leadership remains intact despite the high tensions brewing ahead of the party's national executive committee meeting this weekend.
In an attempt to extinguish rumours, ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe addressed the media from Luthuli House on Friday.
Mabe told journalists that it was "entirely unfair" to suggest that the ANC was leader-less.
"The ANC has a leadership. President Ramaphosa is the president of the ANC. There is no crisis in that.
"We need to be accorded the space to deal with the issues and the ANC will return and communicate with you all. The ANC has never been shy to communicate even the most difficult decisions it takes," Mabe said.
He clarified that the stepping aside rule did not mean unelecting leaders and thus, suspended secretary general Ace Magashule also remained the ’SG’ of the party.
"You step aside, you're not stepping down," Mabe said.
In sharing the NEC's weekend agenda, Mabe said they will be dealing with the step aside rule, reports on parliamentary discussions, Covid-19 vaccine rollout, and local government elections, amongst other items.
He cautioned that the outcomes of the NEC meeting should not be pre-empted.
"We wanted to share the agenda with the media so there are no pre-conceived ideas that are out there."
Mabe added that he didn't believe there was any tension in the ANC and reprimanded the media for giving certain ANC members a platform to comment on the party.
"It's the media who invite members of the ANC who are not allowed to speak on behalf of the ANC to tell their private views that don't necessarily reflect that of the organisation. They are not spokespeople of the ANC.
"I'm not going to entertain small talks taking place in the newsrooms," Mabe said.
Political Bureau