The mood is “buoyant” ahead of the ANC’s provincial and five regional conferences for Gauteng which will be conducted before the end of June, the party announced on Sunday.

“All five regions are ready politically and organisationally to convene successful regional conferences, which will be followed by a provincial conference,” said the provincial ANC in a statement on Sunday, following a briefing held in Johannesburg.

“The mood is buoyant among the rank and file members and supporters of the ANC in Gauteng.”

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Various meetings with different party structures have been held over the last few weeks to ensure that the conferences will be finished by the end of June.

A total of 471 branches, having passed a membership audit, will be attending the conferences – and will also be electing their delegates.

‘Embarrassment’

The party’s provincial structure said people were clamouring to join the party: “We have been inundated with reports from our regions and branches about large numbers of people who are demanding membership forms and cards and many who proudly wear ANC regalia.”

“There is no turning to an era where ANC leaders became an embarrassment to the organisation, its supporters and the people of South Africa.”

The Provincial Executive Committee said that it had “no doubt” that the Gauteng structure had “stood steadfastly and spoken out publicly against practices that undermine integrity and public confidence in the ANC”.

The party invited the public to share ideas with the party about provincial development in the future.

The theme for the conferences are to be “100 Years of Nelson Mandela: The Year of Renewal, Unity and Jobs”.

The key areas of focus will be “the renewal and unity of the ANC in order to restore public confidence”.

Furthermore, the conferences will look at service delivery, job creation as well as “radical socioeconomic transformation”.

“The successful conclusion of our conferences will put the ANC in a formidable and unassailable position to win the 2019 elections decisively.”

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