Johannesburg - African National Congress (ANC) delegates at the 5th national policy conference have proposed numerous changes in a bid to arrest the scourge of corruption and perceived corruption which continues to harm the governing party.
"There are fairly comprehensive suggestions and recommendations that will now go to the branches, looking at issues of social distance and addressing the social distance - how do we address the questions around corruption and [there are] very firm suggestions on how the ANC must deal with corruption," the party's Febe Potgieter-Gqubule said as she addressed media on recommendations of the organisational renewal and strategy and tactics commissions.
"If there are allegations of corruption, the provincial, national and regional secretaries have the responsibility ... if action is not taken, they would be held accountable for the lack of action and they will have to explain why action has not been taken."
The delegates have also recommended that the ANC needs to distance itself from corruption, whether in its ranks, including individuals within the party or outside its structures, supporters or donors.
"Recommendations that were made around combating corruption and restoring the integrity of the ANC include the strengthening of the integrity committee that was adopted in the last conference. The proposal going to branches [from the conference] is that the integrity committee must become an independent structure with constitutional powers within the ANC to be able to summon anybody to account. They will have the power to make decisions and they will then report the decisions on any matter to the structure of the organisation," she said.