President Jacob Zuma is likely to appeal for unity on Friday as he opens the 2017 ANC policy conference. Delivering a keynote address at the pre-conference gala dinner late on Thursday night‚ Zuma extended an olive branch to his detractors. The ANC president conceded that contradictions are part of the culture of the party, but warned against hostility. "You are all also aware of the internal organisational fights facing our movement‚" Zuma said at the gala dinner in Nasrec. "Your feet must contradict each other in order to move from where you are standing. As they contradict each other‚ you move forward." Zuma said time would be set aside to deal with the challenges plaguing the governing party. He also cited the current national recession. "Our country has been downgraded to subinvestment status‚" Zuma said. "This may sound scary and it should be. However‚ we also know that when we unite and face such challenges as a people‚ we tend to overcome." Zuma received a standing ovation f...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.