5 July 2017
Johannesburg – The South African Communist Party (SACP) says the only way to see if the African National Congress has made progress in addressing some of its many challenges would be at the end of the policy conference.
The party is currently hosting its 5th National Policy Conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg, where the state of the organisation has taken centre stage as the party tries to introspect and renew itself ahead of its December National Elective Conference.
The ANC has also admitted that it is plagued by numerous issues, which include perceptions of corruption, vote buying, gate-keeping, the phenomenon of state capture and arrogance.
Speaking to journalists on the side-lines of the conference, SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande said the first two days of the conference, which looked at organisational challenges, were "relatively robust".
He added that the Communist Party, which is one of the ANC's allies, was hopeful that when the six-day conference closed, the ANC would have sought ways to overcome some of its challenges.
Gupta influence
The SACP and two other alliance members, Sanco and Cosatu, have previously called for Zuma to step down as leader of the party, with the labour federation going as far as banning Zuma and the ANC from speaking at any of its events.
Nzimande said he hoped the ANC would "consciously work toward uniting itself because that's the problem, not so much policies".
He also welcomed a diagnostic report which was delivered by the ANC's secretary general Gwede Mantashe, saying, however, the real question was finding the right solution.
The SACP, which took issue with Zuma's close associates the Guptas, also welcomed the ANC dealing with the issue during the gathering.
The Gupta family is said to have undue influence over the president, this includes his key decisions such as the appointment of his executive and operations at state-owned enterprises.
"We're glad that the issue of the Guptas has been put upfront, because we have long said that this family is playing a very toxic role," said Nzimande.
He added that if the 105-year-old liberation movement failed to resolve this issue it would place the entire alliance on a slippery slope.
