JOHANNESBURG – The ANC’s 5th policy conference gets under way on Friday. This is where the governing party reviews its policies ahead of its elective conference.

This weekend Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape held their provincial policy conferences.

They’re all expected to make known their resolutions, ahead of the national conference.

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe has warned against expediency, greed and populism replacing principle in the governing party. 

He was addressing the Gauteng region policy conference on Friday.

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Provincial leaders, on the other hand, say they want to change perceptions that the ANC’s arrogant, self-serving and embracing corruption and mediocrity. 

“We therefore welcome the announcement by the president to establish a judicial commission of inquiry into state capture, as this will go a long way in ensuring that Comrades who are accused of malfeasance are afforded the opportunity to clear their names and we can put this ugly saga behind us,” Paul Mashatile, ANC Gauteng Chairperson said on Friday. 

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At Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal, the region’s proposing land expropriation without compensation.

Provincial chair Sihle Zikalala says, if needs be, the ANC should consider working with parties like the EFF to give people their land back.

Its stance on free education for the poor also remains the same.

And KZN also wants work experience to be abolished for junior posts in government and the private sector.

“The overwhelming mood in the PGC is that we must do away with land with compensation,” said Mdumiseni Ntuli, ANC KZN spokesperson. “That is a very strong move we must advocate for. Land without compensation. Of course, that is going to make it much easier and efficient for the government to move with a much faster pace to deal with the land question.”

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Eastern Cape ANC chair Phumulo Masualle says the governing party should address socio-economic challenges facing the country.

The province is expected to consolidate its policy perspective on Sunday, but it’s not expected to make radical changes.

“The policies of the ANC are very good they only need,” Phumulo Masualle, Chairperson of the Eastern Cape ANC told the media. “We have to look and examine every aspect of life of our communities to examine the policies of the ANC and whether they are still relevant and what impetus needs to be made in order to realise a better future … of course starting with the present”.

The provinces will make public their resolutions on key policies ahead of the national policy conference.

eNCA