Gwede Mantashe says ANC lekgotla will result in action on top priorities

There will be action and not just talk culminating from the ANC's January lekgotla, party general secretary Gwede Mantashe said on Sunday.

The African National Congress national executive committee lekgotla would be discussing its top priorities: education, health, land reform and agrarian reform as well as crime and corruption, and local government.

"This lekgotla must give feedback on the progress made on the challenges encountered, check if ministers and departments work as if they understand that these are priorities and therefore are funded or is this a priority on paper," Mantashe told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting in Irene, Tshwane where the party was holding its four-day lekgotla.

The lekgotla would break into commissions on Monday to discuss the priorities listed.

"We don't want commissions to give us a diagnosis of any problems. We've diagnosed problems. They must give us progress and what action they are going to take," Mantashe said.

President Jacob Zuma opened the lekgotla earlier on Sunday with a political overview.

Mantashe said the outcomes of the ANC lekgotla would be taken to the Cabinet's meeting, which would be held before the State of the Nation address by the president next month.

"Ultimately all these processes will culminate in the State of the Nation."

Attending the lekgolta were the 80 ANC NEC members as well as chief executives of state owned enterprises and department directors general.

During the lekgotla the ANC would be "talking to its government", Mantashe said.

He said the ANC would be talking about the energy crisis and Eskom.

However, there would not be any instant solutions.

"You don't get that with energy because you have to look into energy generation... the problem is generation," Mantashe said.

"We not going to sleep here and wake up with a new power station..."

He said the ANC wanted feedback on how Eskom's new power stations Medupi and Kusela would be brought on stream and what was going to be done with old power stations coming to the end of their lifespan.

Other options for power generation also needed to be discussed, Mantashe said.