The African National Congress (ANC) tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu)and the South African Communist Party (SACP) is "alive and healthy," the party's Gauteng provincial executive committee (PEC) said on Sunday.

"The alliance is alive and healthy in Gauteng... The PEC's recognised that the alliance is firm and resolute in its determination to work together around a common programme of serving the people," PEC secretary David Makhura told a press briefing in Johannesburg.

However, Makhura reiterated that the ANC was the leader and the strategic centre of power in the alliance.

"This gives the ANC a responsibility to lead and ensure that all issues of disagreements are resolved in a comradely and amicable manner without resorting to public spats," he said.

His comments follow tensions in the alliance between the ANC and its partners.

Alliance leaders called for unity at the ANC's 98th anniversary celebrations in Kimberley in January.

Makhura also told reporters that the PEC had decided to hold an early provincial conference in May owing to the FIFA World Cup, the scheduled ANC national general council in September 2010 and preparations for the 2011 local government elections.

Holding the conference before June, he said would enable the party to use the conference to prepare for this year's events.

"The process is also an important platform to debate and develop policies, renew and rejuvenate structures and elect leadership," he said.

Makhura said it was too early to say who would stand or not stand for re-election as the process was yet to begin.

In March, he said that branch members of the ANC would debate policy issues and elect their candidates to hold office in the provincial leadership.

He also said that the party would use this year's conference to right wrongs of the past by developing clear guidelines to ensure lobbying was consistent with the party's constitution.

"Discussion documents will be developed and distributed to branches on the policy issues for consideration in preparation for the national general council," Makhura said.

The soccer world cup, which will hold its opening and closing ceremony in Gauteng was also one of the priorities of the party.

"The PEC will lead a major campaign to mobilise our people in different sectors to support and participate in all the build-up festivities and actual events during this historic moment in the lifetime of our nation."

He said that the final date and venue of the provincial conference would be announced in February.