"Measures should be put into place to ensure that the nomination process is conducted in an atmosphere free from intimidation and violence," he said in Johannesburg.

"The provincial executive committee (PEC) and regional executive committee (REC) were mandated to enforce discipline during branch general meetings so that members can exercise their democratic right... in shaping what should be the outcome of the national conference."

Makhura was briefing reporters on a weekend provincial general council meeting where the nomination process for the province was discussed.

ANC branches, regions and provinces around the country were discussing their nominations for the ANC's top leadership positions ahead of the party's national conference in Mangaung in December.

Makhura said there would not be a police presence at the provincial conference on November 25.

He outlined the timetable for the nomination process in the province.

"The PEC is not making the nomination because there is no such thing. The nominations will be made by the branches, be consolidated by the electoral commission, and be taken to the provincial nominations conference," he said.

"The conference will then vote and at the end of that we will have what Gauteng's nomination is. Prior to that is all speculation."

The branch meetings, which had to meet a quorum (minimum number) to be accepted, would take place between Thursday (Oct 11) and October 18.

The Gauteng ANC announced at the council on Sunday that its preferred candidate for president was Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.

Makhura defended the announcement, saying whether it was acceptable or not to promote the PEC's view before the nomination conference could be "debated for very long" in the ANC.

"At the beginning, they [the PEC] can express an opinion or a view, and the branches may take that view or not take that view - that is acceptable in a democracy."

He said the province also promoted the idea of a "generational (sic) transition" as opposed to a "generational mix" in the leadership.

"Generational mix is [already] here. In the ANC there are always different generations," Makhura said.

"We are confident that... we want to emerge [from Mangaung] with a national executive committee that will usher us into an era of renewal."

He said this was discussed in a meeting between the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provincial working committees on Monday.

KwaZulu-Natal, the home province of President Jacob Zuma, has resolved to back him at the national conference.

At the meeting, the two provinces "exchanged names" for the party's leadership.

"All of us [at the meeting] said we are open to persuasion. If you want to know, the mood [between the provinces] was very comradely (sic)," Makhura said.

"Would it be surprising that they wanted to convince us [to back Zuma]? They wouldn't be surprised that we wanted to win them to our side."

Makhura said the audit of the province's membership found that it had grown from 70,305 members in 2010, to 134,909 in September 2012.

Based on a breakdown on the number of branches which qualified for the conference, and members which were in good standing, 500 branch delegates and 20 PEC members would attend the national conference.