The ANC has been in decline in Western Cape for over a decade. It's finally hosting its provincial conference this weekend to elect new leaders who, it hopes, can revive its electoral chances.

After years of decay, countless postponements and more than a decade without stable leadership, the ANC in the Western Cape will finally convene its elective conference this weekend.

More than 700 delegates are expected to attend the ANC conference, which runs from 23 to 25 June at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

Support for the party has continued to decline with every election, whether local or national, and it's no surprise that the conference will be held under the theme "Rebuilding and Renewing a People's Movement in the Western Cape: Towards a Better Life for All".

"The organisation had found itself in a very difficult situation. Its unity and cohesion had been severely eroded. Its electoral fortunes had turned for the worst. Structures had been dysfunctional for a sustained period of time and, frankly, we had paper-based branches with no real active presence on the ground," said Sifiso Mtsweni, the ANC's head of communications in the province.

The conference was repeatedly postponed over the past few years as the requirement to hold 70% of branch general meetings (BGMs) had not been met.

Mtsweni said the ANC had held peaceful BGMs and had met the 70% threshold to hold...