ANC+52nd+National+Conference+2007,+Organisational+Renewal

[[image:anc.gif]]
=ANC 52ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2007 - RESOLUTIONS=


 * [|Click here to view the PDF Format]**


 * CONTENTS**
 * 1) **Organisational Renewal**
 * 2) Social Transformation
 * 3) Economic Transformation
 * 4) Climate Change
 * 5) Rural Development, Land Reform and Agrarian Change
 * 6) Transformation of State and Governance
 * 7) Peace and Stability
 * 8) International Relations
 * 9) Communications and the Battle of Ideas

=**__ORGANISATIONAL RENEWAL__**=

All commissions at this 52nd National Conference discussed the report of the Policy Conference on Organisational Renewal, together with the President's Political Report and the Secretary General's Organisational Report. For easy reference, this draft resolution captures all the recommendations made in Chapter 6 of the Organisational Review discussion document, which were generally agreed in the Policy Conference recommendations, without being captured in the Policy Conference Report. Although all proposals on Organisation were extensively debated at the Policy Conference, delegates were still very keen in re-opening the issues debated by that Conference. However, most commissions reaffirmed the conclusions arrived at by the Policy Conference.
 * INTRODUCTION**


 * CONTEXT OF THE 52ND NATIONAL CONFERENCE**

Conference therefore adopts the following detailed proposals from the Organisational Review document and the Policy Conference to address the above matters:-
 * Noting**
 * 1) That over the 95 years of the existence of the ANC, the movement evolved into a force for mass mobilisation, a glue that held our people together and a trusted leader of the broadest range of social forces that share the vision of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.
 * 2) That this historical evolution has been largely due to the movement's distinct character and unique features that have enabled it to overcome adversity and the daunting challenges it faced throughout its near-century of existence.
 * 3) That there are a range of global, domestic and intra-organisational factors and forces which impact on the organisation - its character, structures and membership - and the ANC needs to strengthen its ability to respond creatively to these factors and the new environment.
 * 4) The preservation of the movement's character, culture and values in a changing context and new conditions of struggle is the central focus of the organisational renewal effort in the run-up to the Centenary of the ANC in 2012.
 * Further noting**
 * 1) That the 1994 democratic breakthrough ushered in new conditions, providing a unique opportunity to combine state and mass power, in serving the interest of the people. Over the last thirteen years, the ANC as the ruling party has used its control of state power to improve the quality of life, beginning to roll back the legacy of apartheid and colonialism.
 * 2) That since the unbanning of the ANC in 1990, a great deal of effort and energy has been put into re-establishing the movement as a mass legal formation, restructuring and re-organising the structures of the movement to face up to the new challenges. These changes include amendments and innovations in organisational structure of the ANC, changes to the duties and powers of organisational structures, the mainstreaming of gender in ANC structures, ensuring more effective disciplinary procedures and structures, strengthening and clarifying the role of branches, cadre development and defining the relationship between organisational and governance structures.
 * 3) That the main organisational strengths of the ANC during the last thirteen years have been its ability to broaden its appeal beyond its traditional support base, to recruit into its ranks new members and outstanding community activists, to create a new cadre of public representatives and servants and to adapt to mass work under new conditions.
 * 4) That our accumulated weaknesses include inability to effectively deal with new tendencies arising from being a ruling party, such as social distance, patronage, careerism, corruption and abuse of powers; ineffective management of the interface between the movement and the state; a flawed approach to membership recruitment, a decline in ideological depth amongst cadres; and a lack of institutional resources to give practical effect to the movement's leadership role.
 * Believing**
 * 1) That the enhanced capacity, inspired vision, organisational cohesion and unity of the ANC are critical success factors for the realisation of our vision of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society. Reaffirms
 * 2) That the ANC was established essentially to serve the people. Thus, the task of all ANC members is to serve the people loyally and selflessly, without expectation of material reward or personal gain.
 * 3) That the primary task of the ANC remains the mobilisation of all the classes and strata that objectively stand to benefit from the cause of social change. Thus, Strategy and Tactics 2007 elaborates this role as seeking to mobilise all South Africans to contribute to the ongoing transformation of our country, in the process fostering responsibility for our common destiny among all citizens of South Africa, black and white.
 * 4) That at the instance of the 1994 democratic victory, the ANC became both a national liberation movement and a ruling party at the same. In this regard, mass mobilisation and organisational work had to be combined with a skilful use of state power to pursue the goals of the national democratic revolution. Conference notes
 * 5) The robust debates sparked by the Organisational Review discussion document, the Political and Organisational Reports to Conference and reaffirms the need to place organisational renewal at the centre of our work in the run-up to the Centenary of the ANC. These include improving capacity for
 * 6) mass mobilisation and organisation
 * 7) political education and cadreship development;
 * 8) the political management of governance;
 * 9) the formulation, monitoring and evaluation of policy;
 * 10) international work and party-to-party relations;
 * 11) effective election campaigns;
 * 12) instilling discipline and ethical conduct of ANC members and leaders;
 * 13) organisational management;
 * 14) the funding of the movement;
 * 15) the cohesive functioning of the Alliance and
 * 16) work with broader civil society.

This should be guided by proper human resource policies and fundraising protocols that will safeguard the integrity and moral standing of the ANC. As a start, levies of Members of Provincial Legislatures should be channeled back to provinces, to enable them to fund their own programmes. More funding should also be sourced from legitimate private and public funding of political parties represented in the legislature as part of strengthening democracy.
 * MEMBERSHIP**
 * 1) Conference emphasises the role of the branch in recruitment, in accordance with the relevant rule in the ANC constitution, namely to:-
 * Ensure that all members are inducted and go through basic political education and that new members are presented and introduced to the branch general meeting;
 * Give members tasks and monitor their participation;
 * Keep accurate membership records and remind members about renewal in time; and to
 * Know branch members, their socio-economic profile and their participation;
 * 1) Instructs the incoming NEC to:
 * Take steps to practically implement the target set by the 1942 Conference of 1 million members by the time of the centenary celebrations. This must be accompanied by intensive branch political education programmes to improve the quality of members.
 * Discuss and adopt regulations that will guide membership verification and auditing, with clear roles and responsibilities for branches, regions, provinces and HQ. This should also include guidelines on a uniform membership administration system and branch and regional levels.
 * Ensure that the technical and administrative problems with the membership system are addressed, to eliminate gate-keeping and fraudulent practices. This should include decentralising aspects of the membership to levels closer to the membership, fast-tracking capturing of data and the issuing of membership cards; and ensure regular and detailed reports on the membership size and profile. We must investigate how the expiry date on the multi-year membership card can be reflected.
 * 1) The branch should remind members when their membership is due for renewal, and if a member, after being reminded, fails to renew their membership will lapse automatically after three months. The branch should take steps to ensure that members who cannot afford the subscriptions are not penalised. Such members should notify the branch in writing so as to prevent possible abuse, such as buying of membership.
 * 2) The membership system should allow for renewal of existing membership over the internet. The Branch Secretary should be given regular reports on renewals. However, members should still fulfill their constitutional duty to participate in their branches. There was a proposal that our system should allow for applications for membership, but that the actual recruitment of such a new member should take place in person through the branch.
 * 3) Branches, as part of their ongoing recruitment and membership administration, must ensure that:
 * a recruitment strategy for the branch is in place,
 * recruitment teams are formed, trained and monitored,
 * a system of administering the branch membership forms and fees are in place,
 * new members are formally introduced to the branch, the oath taken at a BGM,
 * induction is organised for all new members.
 * 1) Conference instructs leadership collectives at all levels to:
 * Develop a comprehensive recruitment strategy to ensure that we reflect the best amongst South African people, the motive forces, national diversity and advanced productive forces, including targeted recruitment teams;
 * Conduct regular studies on the profile and perspectives of ANC members to correctly identify trends in ANC members;
 * Find creative and innovative ways of reaching out to and servicing supporters regularly, doing active political work amongst them, understand and take up their issues and concerns and recruit from amongst them the best in society; in the process building a vibrant and loyal mass base.
 * 1) Conference did not agree to the following proposed changes, which would have constitutional implications:-
 * On the lowering of the age for joining the ANC, Conference agreed that the status quo of joining the ANC at 18 years remains. Conference reaffirmed the importance of the ANCYL in mobilising and organising young people, and the need for the movement as a whole to target young people in political and ideological work.
 * Having thoroughly debated the proposal to exempt ANCYL members that were active in the League before turning 18 from the 8-week probation period to qualify for ANC membership, there is general agreement that the status quo should remain. Those who argued for waiving the exemption, drew attention to the role of the ANCYL as a preparatory school for future ANC cadres. In a branch, if ANCYL members have worked in the League and contributed in the campaigns and work of the ANC, the ANC branch should be in a position, based on the track record of the Youth Leaguer, to pronounce on this exemption. This is a matter that must be taken back to branches for further discussions.
 * BRANCHES**
 * 1) Conference re-affirms the role of the branch as the basic unit of the movement, and instructs leadership collectives at all levels to:
 * Intensify branch work in each community through the Imvuselelo campaign, to ensure sustainable mass work and establish ANC branches as vanguards of their communities, and to make branches the focus of political and ideological work of senior leadership and cadreship of the movement, including a nationally driven branch political education programme;
 * Allocate resources to support branch work, including implementation of the NGC 2005 decision to reallocate 100% of membership fees to branches, training on fundraising and financial management;
 * Conference agreed to extending the term of office of the BEC to two years with ,a constitutional amendment to this effect. There was no support for the introduction of a mid-term Branch General Council;
 * Encourage sharing of experiences on good practice, including through workshops, study visits across provinces;
 * Ensure that the naming of branches is extensively discussed in branch meetings. The NEC should develop guidelines, including for naming branches after deceased cadres and after living veterans of the movement. There is a proposal to also include branches named after important historic events;
 * Maintain the quorum of 50% plus one for all branch meetings and ensure that this is possible at all times through regular contact with members and by involving them in tasks and activities of the branch.
 * SUB-REGIONS AND ZONES**
 * 1) Conference re-affirms the role of sub-regions and zones as important structures responsible for coordinating and playing a supportive role to branches in mass campaigns and mobilisation and political education for branches. These structures need the basic resources and space to operate from and should be aligned to the ANC's Parliamentary Constituency Offices.
 * 2) Conference adopted the following further recommendations from the Policy conference:
 * That sub-regions should only be established where there are type B (local) municipalities.
 * That zones are relevant coordinating structures in metropolitan regions and they should be strengthened and aligned with parliamentary constituency offices (PCOs).
 * The consensus was in favour of maintaining the status quo, with sub-regions having only powers delegated by RECs.
 * REGIONS**
 * 1) Conference appreciates the political and organisational work of regions, who were given constitutional powers at the Stellenbosch conference to play the role of coordinating, building and supporting branches in their work, working with and engaging various sectors in the region and to oversee the work of municipalities in the region and hereby:
 * Extends the term of office of the REC to three years, to be effected as a constitutional amendment;
 * Instructs the NEC and PECs to take the necessary steps to strengthen regional offices, including working towards ensuring that all regional secretaries are full-time functionaries;
 * Encourages RECs to form relevant sub-committees to enable them to effectively discharge their three primary tasks of organising and mass mobilisation; political education; and policy and governance; * Use councilors' levies to fund the three core functions of RECs and build the capacity of regions for financial management and fundraising.
 * PROVINCES**
 * 1) Conference confirms the role of provincial structures of the ANC as a critical component of the movement, with the responsibility to implement the programme of transformation in its jurisdiction, and evolving from the role and functions of provinces in our country's political system.
 * 2) Conference reaffirms the primary roles of provinces as ensuring that there are dynamic branches that can mobilise and lead communities in the province. The core responsibilities of PECs also include conducting political work amongst various sectors and working with them to build a democratic society; assuming responsibility for high-profile campaigns on provincial, national and international issues as a critical point of delivery for political education and training, targeting provincial and regional leadership, public representatives and other cadres. It also has responsibility for monitoring and evaluating policy and overseeing governance and service delivery.
 * 3) Resolves to:
 * Extend the term of office of the PEC to four years.
 * Build strategic capacity in all provinces to carry out organisation building and mobilisation work, political education and training and political management of governance, including the formation of sub-committees on each of these three primary tasks.
 * Maintain the position of Provincial Secretary as full-time and work towards a more adequate full-time component in the provincial office, including full-time Organising Secretary, Political Education Secretary, Policy Coordinator, Communications Officer and Administrator, as well as a Provincial Office Manager.
 * Ensure the deployment of PEC members to branch and sectoral work, and the assessment of their performance based on this.
 * Strengthen relations with the alliance and other civil society structures through sectoral deployment, including regular meetings with their RECs, branches and organisations representing different sectors.
 * Ensure the adoption of uniform protocols to guide the relationship between the provincial leadership and cadres deployed in government.
 * Introduce a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to help track policy implementation.
 * Ensure all provinces take steps to build financial viability and self-sustainability by the Centenary of the ANC, to finance their own campaigns and administrative overheads and any additional staff. Head office should however continue to fund core provincial staff referred to above.

Political committees should be chaired by an Official who is also a public representative, so that there is a direct link between the elected leadership organs of the movement and caucuses.
 * IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS ON TERMS OF OFFICE**
 * 1) The first Lekgotla of the incoming NEC should provide guidance to structures on the implementation of new Constitutional provisions, in particular the implications of the extension of the terms of offices of those BECs, RECs and PECs whose term of office has not yet expired, and which were elected on the basis of the 2002 Constitution. In this regard, all AGMs, Regional and Provincial Conferences that are due to take place in 2008/9 should be streamlined to introduce the new terms.
 * NATIONAL STRUCTURES**
 * 1) Conference notes that the national constitutional organs play an important role in affirming and reinforcing the unitary nature and national character of the ANC by taking decisions on behalf of and acting in the interest of the movement as a whole, giving leadership to all centres of power and ensuring that the ANC is united, effective, cohesive and focused on its primary mission.
 * 2) To enable the constitutional structures to carry out their organisational and political work more effectively, Conference therefore resolves:
 * That the NEC should on an annual basis develop more detailed programmes in line with targets and priorities set by Conference.
 * That the incoming NEC must dedicate more time to do mass and sectoral work, by developing a new strategy for deployment of NEC members to organisational work. The SGO should develop reporting and accounting mechanisms by NEC members on tasks they are allocated within the movement.
 * That NEC Committees should pay greater attention to the role of the ANC as both a liberation movement and a ruling party; by developing mechanisms to monitor and support the implementation of policies and programmes, drawing on cadres from diverse experiences and centres of power in their work.
 * The NEC should review the role of the Gender Committee of the movement, in relation to that of the ANC Women's League.
 * To expand the size and composition of the NEC, with the view to have more members to meet the demands of provincial and sectoral deployments, ensure appropriate gender balance and generational mix and that the NEC represent a broad spectrum of the motive forces and has members from different centres of power. The incoming NEC should also clarify the role of observers and their different categories.
 * ANC CAUCUSES**
 * 1) Caucuses play an important role in coordinating legislative approaches to ANC policy, and the oversight and monitoring of policy implementation. Caucuses, together with the constitutional structures, are also responsible for the deployment of ANC public representatives to constituencies.
 * 2) Caucuses should also assist the TGO at all levels by encouraging public representatives to collect and monitor payment of levies. Firm action should be taken against members who do not pay their levies.
 * 3) Caucuses are important links between the constitutional structures of the ANC and government. To strengthen the coordinating and leadership role of Caucuses, Conference resolves that:
 * In deploying leadership to Parliament, Legislatures and Caucuses, we should deploy senior cadres of the movement, particularly but not exclusively, those who serve in the leadership organs of the ANC.


 * ANC HEADQUARTERS**
 * 1) Conference notes that Headquarters is the administrative nerve centre that houses the movement's national infrastructure without which it will find it difficult to fulfil its primary mission. Headquarters coordinates, communicates and monitors the implementation of National Conference and NEC decisions and the overall programme of national democratic transformation. To ensure that headquarters carry out these tasks more effectively, it needs to be organised properly and adequately resourced.
 * 2) Conference thus instructs the incoming NEC to:
 * Strengthen the capacity in the SGO so that it can carry out overall coordination and organisational management of the entire movement. The SGO should be the nerve-centre of headquarters
 * Re-organise headquarters and its various departments to focus the ANC's work in the pillars of our transformation programme - organisation, state, economy, international relations, civil society and ideological work and the battle of ideas. In this regard, the key departments and institutions of Headquarters should be the Organising Department, the Political School, the Policy Institute, Communications Department, Treasury, etc. As far as possible, all the departments and institutions should be headed by full-time NEC members.
 * There is a need to streamline the headquarters communications machinery to ensure that the SGO is the main communicator of ANC organisational positions. This includes ensuring that the communication organs of the ANC are used to articulate and communicate collective views and perspectives as well as to facilitate debates among the cadres of the movement.
 * VETERANS**
 * 1) Conference notes the decisions of the Bloemfontein and Mafikeng Conferences to establish a Veterans Commission in the Office of the President and of Provincial Chairpersons Offices with a view to facilitate the full integration of all veterans, ex-combatants and ex-prisoners into the mainstream political life of the ANC.
 * 2) Conference agrees that veterans are comrades of advanced age, who have given unbroken and uninterrupted service to the movement and the people of South Africa over several decades of struggle. These comrades embody the organisational experience and memory of the movement and the people's struggle for freedom and democracy, and they can and should play an important role in reinforcing the traditions, history, values and unity of the movement.
 * 3) Conference thus further resolves:
 * To establish the Veterans League of the ANC, finalising the constitution and uniform, to be fully functioning at all levels by the time of the Centenary anniversary. The ANC membership system should be redesigned so as to recognise veterans.
 * Conference agreed that for this purpose, a veteran be defined as someone who is sixty years and above, and with 40 years of uninterrupted and unbroken service to the movement and the people of South Africa over several decades of struggle.
 * A constitutional amendment will be done by this conference to give effect to the establishment of the Veterans League as a constitutional structure of the ANC.
 * MKMVA**
 * 1) Conference acknowledges the role played by Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) in the struggle for the liberation of South Africa, as part of the four pillars of our struggle. Many ex-combatants of MK have been integrated into the political structures and security services of our country and they are continuing to play a key role in the transformation of our society. However, there is a significant number of ex-combatants who are struggling to make ends meet. Conference notes that the issues of the welfare and proper social and economic integration of our ex-combatants have been raised sharply at the National Policy Conference.
 * 2) With regards to MKMVA, Conference mandates the ANC structures through the offices of the Secretary General, Provincial and Regional Secretaries, to receive reports from MKMVA and give reports to ANC structures on its activities and work. Conference instructs the NEC to:
 * Address issues raised by our ex-combatants and oversee the proper functioning of MKMVA structures at all levels.
 * Take direct interest in the welfare and reintegration of MK military veterans into civilian life.
 * Ensure, through a programme of action, that MKMVA participates in all programmes and structures of the ANC.
 * Ensure that all resolutions of the previous ANC Conferences on MKMVA are implemented fully.
 * In line with the Organisational Report, take direct responsibility for the continued existence and utilisation of MKMVA members as an organisational resource.
 * 1) In terms of the status of MKMVA in the ANC organisational structure, there is agreement that MKMVA functions as an autonomous body within the overall structure of the ANC. Further, MKMVA should submit regular reports on the state of its organisational structures and activities to the SGO. 42 Conference agrees that a Presidential Commission on Military Veterans should be established in government and a comprehensive social package for all ex-combatants of former liberation armies be introduced by the state by the end of 2008.
 * ANC AWARDS**
 * 1) In addition to Isithwalandwe/Seaparankoe as the ANC's highest honour, and the awards for excellent branches and municipal collectives, this Conference also introduces annual loyal service awards to honour veterans and other cadres who have displayed outstanding and loyal service and disciplined conduct over thirty (30) years and more. The President should announce the awards on January 8 each year, along with the awards for best performing branches and local councils. The NEC should develop guidelines for the service awards, including categories such as for fifty (50), forty (40) and thirty (30) years of service.
 * 2) Conference further instructs the NEC to ensure that steps are taken by the relevant structures (Archives, Political Education and Communications) to continuously record and publish the life stories of our veterans as part of building political consciousness of our members.
 * 3) The criteria for the annual awards for the best ANC branch should also take into consideration the state of the Leagues in that ward.
 * POLITICAL EDUCATION**
 * 1) Conference resolves that the establishment and institutionalisation of the Political School should be one of the key organisational priorities of the next five years. The Political School should focus on cadre development, facilitating continuous accumulation of knowledge, and contributing to the battle of ideas and the ideological renewal of the movement. On the operationalisaton of the Political School, Conference further resolved that:
 * The Political School is one of the strategic areas for funding deriving from public funding of political parties;
 * The school should run on a formal and professional basis, offering accredited courses covering all areas of ANC work - including theory, organisation and mass work, governance, economic and social policy and international relations. A review of the political education proposals of 1997/98 should be done to fine-tune these proposals.
 * 1) On general political education, training and the development of political consciousness and our human resources, Conference resolves that:-
 * Priority be given to building capacity of regions and provinces to run and deliver political education courses on a mass scale for branches, with curriculum development, training materials and training of facilitators done centrally; and with modernised methods of delivery, including distance education technology.
 * Induction be conducted for all constitutionally elected structures at all levels, and ensure that all senior deployed cadres in various centres of power go through political classes to understand the vision, programme and ethos of the movement. Elected leadership should also attend compulsory political education classes, to aid continuous learning and debate.
 * Cadres deployed in government should be encouraged to make use of training opportunities.
 * Special attention should be paid to cadre development for the Leagues, for women cadres and young cadres, with a view to improve the internal capacity of the ANCWL and ANCYL to deliver political education in their structures.
 * The ANC should ensure that there is state-sponsored civic education to raise the level of awareness, human rights, democracy and patriotism and to ensure a well-informed and active citizenry.
 * Integrating issues of disability into our political education work.
 * POLITICAL MANAGEMENT OF GOVERNANCE**
 * 1) Conference notes that the democratic breakthrough of 1994 and the overwhelming electoral support for the ANC in elections has placed governance as one of the principal pillars of the current phase of our struggle. We have amassed enormous experience in the art of running the affairs of the state, and our cadres have gained new skills and insights.
 * 2) Further noting that the establishment of parliamentary and local government caucuses and parliamentary constituency offices (PCOs) has placed new opportunities and challenges on the organisational machinery of the ANC.
 * 3) Given the importance of the pillar of the state in the overall transformation of our society, the political management of the relationship between ANC constitutional structures and cadres deployed in governance need ongoing attention. Conference therefore instructs the incoming NEC to:
 * Develop greater coordination between work of the ANC structures and governance work, to give strategic leadership to cadres deployed in the state and to improve capacity to hold cadres deployed accountable.
 * Develop guidelines on how the ANC engages and takes forward its agenda in spheres of government where it is in opposition.
 * RELATIONS BETWEEN CAUCUSES AND CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES**
 * 1) The Conference instructs the national and provincial constitutional structures to strengthen caucuses as instruments for robust oversight, mutual accountability, collective leadership and discipline among cadres deployed to government, parliament, legislatures and municipalities. The Political Committees should be chaired by an Official who is also a public representative at that level. The NEC should develop guidelines on how the ANC structures should interface with Caucuses and Executives, including:
 * The kind of issues that need to be referred to the organisation before final decisions are made.
 * Clarifying the role of Caucuses as the structures responsible for maintaining party discipline, unity and cohesion among ANC public representatives.
 * Their role in overseeing the implementation of the Manifesto in a particular sphere of government.
 * Reports by caucuses to the organisation through the Offices of the Regional and Provincial Secretaries and Secretary General.
 * Regular, mandatory meetings and communication between the Secretaries and Chief Whips.
 * ELECTION OF ANC LEADERSHIP**
 * 1) Conference notes that the movement has established the procedures, as well as the rights and duties of members in the election of leadership, contained in the ANC Constitution.
 * 2) Conference further notes that the ANC document "Through the eye of a needle", provides a political and organisational basis for our movement's approach to electing leadership. Conference therefore took the following further decisions on these matters:
 * Instructs the incoming NEC to initiate a review of "Through the eye of a needle", including guidelines on lobbying and other internal practices, learning from the experiences of what happened in the run-up to this Conference.
 * That the ANC President shall be the candidate of the movement for President of the Republic.
 * There is general agreement that the ANC President should serve no more than two terms of office. A discussion paper on this matter should be initiated by the incoming NEC as part of the overall challenge of improving the ANC's ability to manage leadership transition.
 * Ensure that as part of political education, membership and leadership understanding of the approaches in "Through the eye of a needle" is enhanced and the approaches contained in the document and in the Constitution implemented when leadership are elected at all levels.
 * Develop a political programme - including political education, the enforcement of the supremacy of formal structures of the ANC and the use of the disciplinary code of the movement - to stamp out destructive practices such as smear campaigns, vote-buying and other anti-democratic tendencies that have reared their head in the electoral processes of the movement.
 * This also include initiating discussion on a comprehensive approach to matters of leadership transition in the organisation and government, drawing lessons from other progressive parties in the world.
 * Strengthen list guidelines and processes for public representatives to enhance democratic participation.
 * DEPLOYMENT OF CADRES**
 * 1) Conference affirmed that the ANC remains the key strategic centre of power, which must exercise leadership over the state and society in pursuit of the objectives of the NDR. This means that the structures and collectives of the movement must make the decisions on the direction our country should take collectively.
 * 2) Conference thus instructs the incoming NEC to review the political management of the deployment process and ensure the implementation of the 1997 Resolution on Deployment, with a view to strengthening collective decision-making and consultation on deployment of cadres to senior positions of authority. This includes strengthening the National Deployment Committee.
 * 3) The conference further decided on the following specific approaches with regards to deployment, as discussed at the National Policy Conference:
 * At local government level, the REC should make recommendations of not more than three names of cadres in order of priority who should be considered for mayorship, and the PEC will make a final decision based on the pool of names submitted by the REC. Those members of either the REC or PEC who are being considered for deployment should recuse themselves when decisions affecting them are made.
 * At provincial government level, the PEC should recommend a pool of names of not more than three cadres in order of priority who should be considered for Premiership, and the NEC will make a final decision based on the pool of names submitted by the PEC. Those members of either the PEC or NEC who are being considered for deployment should recuse themselves when decisions affecting them are made. The provincial leadership, especially Officials, should be afforded space to make an input on the deployment of MECs.
 * At national government level, Conference agrees that the ANC President shall be the candidate of the movement for President of the Republic. * The prerogative of the President, premiers and mayors to appoint and release members of cabinet, executive councils and mayoral committees should be exercised after consultation with the leadership of the organisation.
 * The incoming NEC should develop criteria for candidates to be deployed to senior positions in government, such as President, Premiers and Mayors.
 * POLICY FORMULATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION**
 * 1) Conference reaffirms the centrality of ANC structures, especially the branches, in the policy formulation process of the movement and the ongoing need for the ANC to give leadership to society and the state. Conference adopts the following recommendations from the Organisational Review discussion document:
 * The utilisation of the Policy Institute and the Political School to build more capacity for branches to be able to fulfill their role in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of ANC policy.
 * Improving the capacity of ANC structures to monitor and evaluate the implementation of policy by cadres deployed in government. A monitoring and evaluation mechanism should be developed by the incoming NEC and should include annual assessment of public representatives by branches and regions and mid-term performance evaluations by provinces and HQ.
 * The National Policy Conference should become a consultative platform for policy review and debates in the run-up to National Conferences and a consultative body for the development of the Election Manifesto in the run-up to national and local government elections. The Manifesto will then be subject to final ratification and adoption by the NEC.
 * The Policy Institute should be actualised as a matter of utmost priority in the run-up to the Centenary, with funding sourced primarily from a comprehensive system of public funding of representative political parties. It should link closely to NEC committees, as well as the physical infrastructure of the Political School.
 * LIST PROCESSES**
 * 1) Conference resolves that we should strengthen list guidelines and processes for public representatives to enhance democratic participation, ensure that we select and deploy the best cadres for public office and involve the broader community in our candidate selection processes. We also need to ensure that we attract people with skills and ensure the broadest possible sectoral spread in our public representative corps. The current guidelines need to be strengthened to enhance accountability mechanisms and performance of public representatives.
 * ELECTION CAMPAIGNS**
 * 1) Conference affirms the assertion of the "Organisational Review" discussion document that building a strong and vibrant mass organisation, in continuous touch with the people, is the best way to prepare for and win elections. The mass character of the ANC reinforces its capacity to contest elections as a party. Conference therefore adopts the following recommendations:
 * To strengthen the capacity of both the state and the organisational structures, particularly branches, to respond to community development needs and aspirations, as outlined in the Imvuselelo Handbook.
 * To build election campaign resources by setting up and building an annual election fund, saving a portion of funds from public funding and private donations for use at the time of elections.
 * Maintain minimum full-time election machinery at all levels.
 * Do ongoing research to track changing attitudes and perceptions of voters on various issues of public concern.
 * Avoid training completely new election workers during every election and recall experienced election volunteers during elections.
 * Our campaign tactics should continue to emphasise direct contact with the people, while at the same time making optimal use of new technology to take our message to both our core supporters and middle ground areas during the different phases of the campaign. This requires a continuous training and retraining of our election workers and volunteers in new techniques.
 * DISCIPLINE**
 * 1) Conference reaffirms the need for all ANC cadres to uphold moral integrity and revolutionary discipline. Conference therefore adopts the recommendations of the Organisational Review document and National Policy Conference and instructs the incoming NEC to develop further guidelines that seek to clarify the disciplinary procedures of the movement, including:
 * Provision for a procedure that allows ANC members to exhaust internal processes before they take the movement to court on organisational matters.
 * How to deal with court cases against ANC members that are still pending.
 * Timely responses and clear and consistent procedures for dealing with complaints from members
 * Strengthen the clauses on misconduct, so that they are tight, consistent, simple and clear.
 * ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT**
 * 1) Conference notes the assertion in the Organisational Review document on the need for an overhaul of a range of organisational management policies. Conference therefore adopts the following recommendations and instructs the SGO to ensure:
 * A major overhaul of our HR policies and systems, to be in line with the country's laws and reflect the best values and traditions of the ANC. This should include consideration of such measures as training, development and deployment and redeployment of cadres who have worked full-time in the ANC; remuneration parity across the various areas of party work and a structured programme of learnerships, internships and mentorships for young cadres at the ANC offices.
 * Review of the organistional design of regional, provincial and national offices, based on their core functions as outlined in Chapter 3 of the Organisational Review document.
 * The ANC, like other parties all over the world, should make maximum use of some of our cadres deployed in government and legislature positions that allow them to contribute to various areas of organisational work - policy, international relations, communications and political education and training. The Political School and Policy Institute should be structured in a way that houses some of the movement's strategic programme staff.
 * The movement should take full advantage of ICT to modernise its operations in branches, regions, provinces and HQ and learn from best practices of other parties and movements in the world. In this regard, we need to review current ICT infrastructure and develop a comprehensive medium-to-long term ICT strategy that will cover areas of organisational work such as political education, organising and campaigns, membership and administration and management.
 * The incoming NEC must adopt a comprehensive policy and guidelines on ANC records and archives, including detailed procedures on access and preservation of such documents.
 * FUNDING**
 * 1) Conference believes the resourcing of the movement is fundamental to its ability to carry out the mission of the ANC. Conference therefore adopts the following policy positions from the Organisational Review document and the Policy Conference:-
 * The ANC should champion the introduction of a comprehensive system of public funding of representative political parties in the different spheres of government and civil society organisations, as part of strengthening the tenets of our new democracy. This should include putting in place an effective regulatory architecture for private funding of political parties and civil society groups to enhance accountability and transparency to the citizenry. The incoming NEC must urgently develop guidelines and policy on public and private funding, including how to regulate investment vehicles.
 * ALLIANCE, MDM AND CIVIL SOCIETY**
 * 1) Conference confirms the relevance of the alliance, united in action for the joint programme of social transformation, using its collective strength to continue to search for better ways to respond to the new challenges. To achieve this, we must continue to enhance coordination amongst alliance partners, and to strengthen the organisational capacity of each individual component.
 * 2) Conference confirms the Policy Conference assertion that we should respect the right of individual Alliance partners to discuss and arrive at their own decisions on how they seek to pursue their strategic objectives. Consistent with this principle, the ANC will continue to determine, in its own structures and processes, how best to advance its own strategic objectives.
 * 3) Conference further confirms that the leadership role of the ANC places on it the primary responsibility to unite the tripartite alliance and all the democratic forces.
 * 4) Conference mandates the NEC to:
 * Within three months after Conference, convene an Alliance summit to discuss a joint programme of action, including strengthening local structures of the alliance, and an approach on how the alliance manages with differences and discipline.
 * Continue to assist SANCO to convene its National Conference and help to define its role in the current phase.
 * PREPARATIONS FOR THE ANC CENTENARY**
 * 1) Conference notes that the ANC will celebrate its centenary anniversary on January 8, 2012. The Centenary will also be the year of the 53rd National Conference of our movement. Conference further mandates the incoming NEC and all the leadership collectives and membership of the ANC to mobilise the vast majority of our people over the next five years to take part fully in the build-up activities towards the Centenary celebrations.
 * 2) Central to these activities must be the focus on building vibrant and dynamic branches and unifying the movement at all levels so that it can tackle the social and economic problems facing the overwhelming majority of our people. The ANC must continue to strive to be the moral, intellectual and political leader of our changing society and the repository of the best values of our people and put in place mechanisms to vigorously combat negative tendencies occasioned by being a ruling party.
 * 3) Conference therefore mandates the incoming NEC to develop perspectives for discussions in the structures on the most appropriate manner of celebrating this momentous occasion.
 * BUILDING UNITY AND COHESION AND RENEWING THE ANC'S CORE VALUES, ORGANISATIONAL DEMOCRACY AND REVOLUTIONARY DISCIPLINE**
 * 1) Conference notes that the ANC has been impacted upon, both positively and negatively, by the changing conditions of our struggle since coming into power in 1994. In particular, being a ruling party has exposed the movement to the serious dangers outlined in both the Political and Organisational Reports. In the run-up to this Conference, the process of leadership contestation has put to serious test the ANC's unity and cohesion, core values, character as well as its tried and tested organisational practices.
 * 2) Conference therefore instructs the incoming NEC to make its urgent priority to deal with all issues that must help to restore the unity and cohesion of the movement so that by the time we go to the 2009 elections and the centenary our movement marches together in unison.
 * 3) Further, conference tasks the incoming NEC to establish a period of renewal of the values, character and organisational practices of the ANC as a leading force for progressive change in our country. Part of the programme of renewal should be a mass political education campaign to be undertaken at branch level within six months after National Conference to report back on substantive Conference outcomes, and to consolidate common approaches and unity within the movement.
 * TOWARDS THE 2009 ELECTIONS**
 * 1) Conference notes that the 52nd National Conference takes place less than eighteen months before the next national elections in 2009. Conference is of the firm conviction that the ANC will go into these elections as a united fighting force determined to rally the overwhelming majority of our people to renew the ANC's mandate as a governing party that has popular appeal and mass support across all classes and strata in our society.
 * 2) Conference instructs the incoming NEC to put in place processes to prepare for the 2009 elections, including the urgent establishment of the Elections Commission, convening the first national election strategy meeting within the next six months.
 * CONCLUSION**
 * 1) 52nd Conference acknowledges that organisational building and renewal require consistent attention and reflection, and that the issues are complex and involved. We still believe that the abiding strength of the ANC is its culture of robust debate, which brings more wisdom to all those who participate in them. Instead of causing divisions, debating matters help us to listen and learn from one another. Collectively, we are wiser after listening to one another.
 * 2) Conference is of the firm view that the energy, enthusiasm and passion that has characterised the discussions in our branches in the run-up to this Conference and robust debates among delegates are a reflection of the seriousness and high level of interest among ANC members in the political life of the movement.