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| ANC considers post-Mbeki future | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Members of South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) are gathering for a major policy conference over the next four days. | Members of South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) are gathering for a major policy conference over the next four days. |
| But the event is being overshadowed by the question of who will succeed Thabo Mbeki as the party's leader, and become the next president of the country. | But the event is being overshadowed by the question of who will succeed Thabo Mbeki as the party's leader, and become the next president of the country. |
| He is expected to step down in December after 10 years at the ANC helm. | He is expected to step down in December after 10 years at the ANC helm. |
| Whoever replaces Mr Mbeki as ANC leader will be the front-runner for the presidency of the country in 2009. | Whoever replaces Mr Mbeki as ANC leader will be the front-runner for the presidency of the country in 2009. |
| Lobbying | |
| Some 1,500 ANC delegates are meeting to discuss a range of policy documents, but the leadership succession battle has already begun behind the scenes. | Some 1,500 ANC delegates are meeting to discuss a range of policy documents, but the leadership succession battle has already begun behind the scenes. |
| The ANC is open to acknowledging even some of the most difficult issues around existing antagonism Tokyo Sexwale Unions flex their muscles | |
| Two people - the ANC deputy leader, Jacob Zuma, and the business tycoon, Tokyo Sexwale - have shown an interest, although in keeping with party tradition, they are not actively campaigning. | Two people - the ANC deputy leader, Jacob Zuma, and the business tycoon, Tokyo Sexwale - have shown an interest, although in keeping with party tradition, they are not actively campaigning. |
| They must first be nominated by ANC branches around the country. | They must first be nominated by ANC branches around the country. |
| The leadership race is still wide open and other candidates are certain to emerge in the coming months. | |
| But BBC reporters in Johannesburg say all the key candidates will be lobbying very hard over the next four days if they want to succeed. | |
| "We go into both conferences - the June and December conference - with an open mind as exemplified by the various policy discussion documents already distributed ahead of the conference to enable robust debates," Mr Sexwale said. | |
| "Contrary to speculations from our critics, the ANC is open to acknowledging even some of the most difficult issues around existing antagonisms and tensions which threaten to undermine our very own organisational unity." | |
| Divisions | |
| The ANC has been experiencing serious internal division, and there is a strained relationship with its traditional alliance partners - the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party. | |
| Jacob Zuma remains a contender despite his legal battles | |
| Much of the debate has centred around the widening gap in South Africa between rich and poor. | Much of the debate has centred around the widening gap in South Africa between rich and poor. |
| An ongoing strike by public servants, which has so far cost the economy an estimated $418m, is among them. | |
| The demands from the left of the governing coalition have created tensions within the business-friendly wing of the ANC led by President Mbeki. | |
| Policies that will be discussed in the four-day conference will help determine whether or not the ANC will rule successfully in the next decade or so, our reporters say. | |
| As the continent's economic power house, the way the party resolves its internal tensions will have an impact on the business climate, he says. |