He did not elaborate on what these fundamental issues were‚ but said newspaper headlines about blood on the floor over calls for Zuma’s resignation or recall had not yet been seen.
The national working committee was to give its report‚ “which covers many issues‚ including issues that are very current”.
Mantashe gave no clues about what these might be.
Thereafter the 106 NEC delegates would spend the rest of the meeting in Irene‚ Pretoria‚ discussing issues relevant to the ANC and South Africa.
He said one issue may be the second phase of the succession debate – in which discussion would be permitted but not the nomination of candidates to replace Zuma as head of the ANC.
The next two days would be “quite hectic and heavy”‚ Mantashe said.
South Africa will have to wait to see whether the calls by the ANC veterans‚ alliance partners Cosatu and the South African Communist Party‚ South African Council of Churches‚ and citizens for Zuma to quit will be forced on to the agenda – and whether this will result in blood on the floor.
