ANC wants Zuma to be answerable to Luthuli House

[caption id="attachment_232692" align="aligncenter" width="630"]
ANC President Jacob Zuma addresses delegates at the 54th ANC National Conference taking place in Nasrec
Picture: Masi Losi[/caption]

The ANC’s national conference wants President Jacob Zuma as head of state to be answerable to Luthuli House now that he is no longer at the helm of the party.

Following commissions on organisational renewal‚ the ANC resolved that power must now be vested in the ANC presidency at Luthuli House and not in the state at the Union Buildings.

This means Zuma would have to take instructions from his deputy in the state and newly elected ANC president‚ Cyril Ramaphosa.

The report back on this commission was led by Febe Potgieter.

The plenary heard that the incoming ANC’s National Executive Committee would have to “manage two centres of power” now that the head of the party is not the president of the state.

Mismanagement of two bases of power could force a recall of the state president — Zuma

The plenary heard that that the ANC Youth League should not elect old leaders and that it should reconsider its age limit which is currently 35.

The ANC Youth League should consider its cut-off age to be in line “with its youthful constituencies”.

The youth league is often criticised for having leaders that are not considered youth – with its president‚ Collen Maine‚ far above the cut-off age limit to be in the youth league.

There has been a suggestion that the party have a council of elders to guide the party’s new leadership but that matter was not agreed on and deferred to discuss at a later time.

ANC delegates have supported the need for a social media policy to govern what party members and leaders say on social media.

Potgieter also told the commission that most delegates supported a proposal by the Veterans League that the integrity commission of the party must have more teeth.

- TimesLIVE