As is normally the case ahead of such ruling party elective conferences, the jostling for leadership positions is now in full swing, despite attempts by Luthuli House to put a lid on the succession debate.
Disappointingly, though, are signs that dirty tricks are increasingly being used by various factions in the party to tarnish each other's standing ahead of the conference.
Of utmost concern are claims, yet to be proved, that even state security agencies are being dragged into the dirty battle for political supremacy.
The country's intelligence services have been plunged into turmoil, with minister Siyabonga Cwele seeking to remove three senior spy bosses amid claims that they were resisting pressure on them to launch politically motivated investigations into politicians regarded as possible challengers to the current ANC leadership.
Legitimate investigations by the Hawks and the SA Revenue Service into the lavish lifestyles of certain politicians and their associates are being labelled as part of dirty political machinations ahead of the conference by those at the receiving end of such probes.
Just this week, a document purported to be from intelligence sources was circulated to various media houses - in the wake of Minister of Sport Fikile Mbalula's sex scandal - alleging that there is a plot to taint the images of a number of government and ANC ministers.
The use of state agencies to fight the ANC's dirty leadership battles has no place in a democratic society and should, therefore, be condemned.
If any of the state agencies are found to be guilty of this, those involved should face the full might of the law. The independence of these agencies from political interference cannot be compromised.
If the impartiality of the state agencies is unquestionable, politicians who are accused of wrongdoing will not be able to hide behind conspiracy theories linked to the Mangaung conference.
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