ANC Treasurer General and party presidential hopeful, Doctor Zweli Mkhize, has again called for unity in the ruling party.

Mkhize was addressing party members and members of the South African National Civic Organisation in the eThekwini region. He called on ANC branches to hold leaders accountable and to only vote in an ANC president who is ready to unite the party.

He says, “It is ironic that on the year we are celebrating President Oliver Tambo’s legacy it is the year we are seeing factionalism at its worst.”

He says it is the year where the party is seeing even senior leaders participating, driving and entrenching factions.

It comes amid fears that a fall out at the December elective conference could lead to a similar split experienced after the 2007 Polokwane conference.

“This is the challenge, the branches must call all of us to order. You are our last hope in uniting the ANC. For the ANC to succeed, we need the ANC strong and united,” says Mkhize.

African National Congress (ANC) Gauteng Chairperson, Paul Mashatile reiterated this call for unity, in Soweto at the launch of the provincial structure’s “Know your neighbour” campaign on Monday.

The ANC in Gauteng is on a quest to win back the confidence of Gauteng voters in an early bid, to avoid losing Gauteng in 2019 like it lost Tshwane and Joburg during the Local Government Elections.

However, their task has been made more gruelling by the brutal leadership contest ahead of the December elective conference.

The ANC in Gauteng is cognisant that “it can’t sell a fractured party to the electorate.”

“The ANC cannot afford another breakaway,” says Mashatile.

Among the proposals to avoid a split are, ideally, that the Presidential post must be uncontested – or to do away with winner takes all approach. There are also ideas of expanding the top officials from the current six.

Mashatile has been spurred on, to run for one of the top posts: “I am ready to do anything the ANC wants me to do.”

The provincial structure says it will engage other provinces on these proposals including the Eastern Cape which is expected to hold its congress this week.