The African National Congress's (ANC's) National General Council (NGC) will officially get under way in Midrand, Johannesburg on Friday where the party will assess resolutions taken at its last conference.

The conference is the party's mid-term review, which comes two-and-a-half years after its 2012 elective conference in Mangaung.

A total of 4094 delegates are expected attend with 2 500 coming from ANC branches around the country.

Although the party will be discussing key policy positions, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe has explained that it would not be amending any but rather reviewing implementation of resolutions taken in 2012 and adjusting programmes.

Delegates started arriving in Johannesburg on Thursday morning.

Mantashe said 67 buses were transporting them from around the country.

The NGC will see President Jacob Zuma present the ANC's political report to the conference.

Traditionally this session of the conference has been an open session, however, Mantashe on Thursday said this was being debated.

"When we declare sessions closed we want the ANC to be brutally frank with itself without fear," he explained.

"We must be able to say things as they are."

There was concern that the ANC would not be able to do this if the media were in attendance.

Mantashe said the decision on whether the session would be open or closed would depend on the sensitivity of issues.

During other closed sessions the NGC will also receive organisational report, which assesses the state of the party, and the financial report.

The conference would also receive a progress report on the implementation of the National Development Plan and a presentation on its document "balance of forces".

In its balance of forces paper the ANC has admitted that it needed to mend its ways following a drop in support, especially in the country's metros.

Delegates will also attend commissions where the ANC's nine discussion documents would be debated.

News24.com