ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said this would be part of a report to be presented to the ANC NEC meeting underway in Irene, Pretoria.

"We can say that, out of those consultations, overwhelmingly those proposals (early and consultative conference) have been rejected by the branches of the ANC because branches of ANC, among others, view part of the challenges of the ANC, these are issues you need to resolve before leadership. Because you can change faces, but not the problems."

The consultations with branches followed the party's dismal performance during the local government elections.

The ANC lost three metros for the first time and its support dwindled to 54%.

Kodwa said the ANC had spoken to all 53 regions and that the branches had been candid and frank.

The NEC meeting would not be about regurgitating the issues raised by the branches, but rather about finding solutions, Kodwa said.

When asked about what the branches had to say on the calls for President Jacob Zuma to step down, Kodwa did not respond directly, but instead said that "the ability of the NEC to provide leadership has been raised".

Other issue on the agenda include the state of SOEs, including SABC, Denel and Eskom.

The NEC ends on Sunday.

- News24.com