The organisation's leader Julius Malema was expected to give the opening address ahead of a speech by the country's Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.

Numerous delegates were toyi-toying and singing at the St George's conference centre in Irene before the conference started.

Some of the songs being sung were "Bloemfontein 2012, we are voting for Malema" and "The shower man is troubling us", a reference to President Jacob Zuma.

Scores of photographers and cameramen filmed and photographed the delegates.

The event would be Malema's first public appearance since the ANC announced last Saturday that his appeal against his five-year suspension from the ANC had been rejected.

He, however, remains a party member until arguments in mitigation of his sentence have been concluded.