The four-day gathering is also reflecting on the economy and Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's recovery plan, which has caused divisions in the party.

Of the 257 municipalities in the country, only 18, 12 of them from the Western Cape, obtained clean audit outcomes.

R25 billion worth of contracts and tenders were awarded unlawfully by municipalities with poor governance.

ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule tacitly says national and provincial governments have not been giving local governments enough support.

Another talking point is the country's slow economic growth that's failing to create much-needed jobs.

With the retrenchments of thousands in the pipeline, not even the 3.1 percent in GDP growth in the second quarter is enough to reassure over 10 million unemployed South Africans.

eNCA