Gauteng wants ANC divorced from state

Seventeen years into power, the ANC in Gauteng is set to push for a policy discussion on how to separate the party from the state.

Gauteng ANC secretary David Makhura told The Times yesterday there was a need to create a "healthy space" between the state and the organisation.

Makhura said the proposal was in no way contrary to the party's policy of cadre deployment.

He said the proposal was aimed at giving both the party and the state room to employ people capable of delivering on the mandate given.

"We remain fully committed to the ANC's stance on cadre deployment.

"We are proposing a policy discussion on how we give each institution space to operate without taking away their powers.

"We can not allow a situation where people think that by being elected to the ANC structure it means an automatic employment into the state. We can not afford to collapse the two - there should be a comfortable space," Makhura said.

He said the policy proposal would be discussed by party members in the province before it was discussed with other provinces.

The ANC has in recent years battled to keep its internal contests from spilling into the state.

In the run-up to the ANC's national conference in Polokwane in 2007, those deployed into government were accused of abusing their positions in order to stop others from being elected into the party's top leadership.

The battle at the time affected both the state and the ANC.

Cosatu, a key ANC ally, has repeatedly warned against abuse of state institutions to advance factional interests.

The labour federation has cautioned against the use of state power to appoint people without capacity to lead transformation; the tolerance of mediocrity; and the sidelining of talented individuals for factional reasons.

This year Zuma faced internal revolt over the party's candidate nominations process during the local government elections.

Makhura said such a discussion would, if adopted by the ANC in its policy conference next year, stop the revolts and factional fights and allow internal mechanisms to determine the ANC's election outcomes.

The Gauteng ANC secretary said state organs should never be drawn into the ANC's internal contests. He warned that appointments into the ANC and the state should not be collapsed into one.

Makhura said if the policy was adopted it would give the party space to manage effectively its functions.

As the ANC prepares to celebrate its centenary next year, its leadership has warned that the use of money and dirty campaigns against party members to secure state positions were the biggest threat facing the organisation.