THE ANC national executive committee (NEC) has endorsed sweeping changes to the party's constitution, lending its support to at least 32 areas that needed to be reviewed, including the expansion of the top six officials into the top seven.
The party also received further proposals for constitutional amendments from its grassroots structures, but some were deemed to be “potentially legally, and/or constitutionally defective”.
From the grassroots, the party received proposals that ANC members be obliged to reapply for membership after the conference next month.
Pensioners aged 65 and above and foreigners could be barred from leadership positions. The proposals that the NEC identified as problematic include that “only thirty percent (30%) of NEC members can serve in the Cabinet”, “that the concept of Policy Conferences must be abolished”, and, “issues of policy must be dealt with in the national general council”.
Other issues included “that a national general council must be given the power to remove and replace any NEC member or office bearer”, and “that the ANC should become a revolutionary movement based on People's Developmental Socialism and anti-Imperialism”.
The details are contained in a letter that ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile sent to party leaders in the provinces and its affiliates in the leagues, dated Tuesday this week.
The proposed introduction of a further elected position to the “top 6” officials provides for “the election of a second deputy secretary-general, responsible for organisational matters”.
"If the proposed addition of a second deputy secretary-general is adopted, the responsibilities and duties of this additional deputy secretary-general must be added to the constitution, or the constitution should provide that the delineation of tasks in the secretary-general's office, which must be the responsibility of the NEC.
"It is further proposed that the constitution must provide that the three (3) officials in the secretary-general's office must be in the full-time employ of the ANC and the NEC must be given the responsibility to decide if any of the other officials or any members of the NEC must be in the full-time employ of the ANC," the document continued.
The NEC agreed that the amendment if it were to gain traction given that it may impact the election of the officials of the NEC at the upcoming national conference next month in Nasrec, ought to be considered for adoption at the beginning of the gathering of the branch delegates.
The other proposals supported by the NEC focused on the criteria of membership, the introduction of induction courses, curbing the manipulation of membership, the permanent appointment of a six-member electoral committee, the ban on the use of money for internal election campaigns, compulsory lifestyle audits for ANC leadership and ANC public representatives at all levels, and the introduction of one member one vote.
Members convicted of serious offences in court would also be expelled.
The step-aside rule would, together with the accompanying temporary suspension where members are defiant, be constitutionalised. In terms of the rule, leaders and public representatives facing criminal charges ought to step aside and those facing serious allegations should appear before the party's ethics body, the integrity commission, which would decide their fate.
Given that ANC structures often struggle to reach a quorum of more than half the branch members present during meetings, the NEC has supported a proposal that the “one-size fits all” requirement should be reviewed. The introduction of virtual branch meetings would also be considered.