Newly elected Gauteng ANC chairman Paul Mashatile made it clear on Saturday that the ANC was the only centre of power in the province.

"Our position is that there is only one centre... the ANC," he said at a media briefing on the final day of the province's eleventh elective conference at the Tshwane Events Centre.

Mashatile was pitted against Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane to lead the ANC in the province. He out-stripped Mokonyane with 513 votes to her 356.

His comments come amid reports that his winning the position of chairman in the province would render Mokonyane powerless in her position as premier.

"Government is not a centre, government is a place where people are deployed to do ANC work."

He added that the provincial leadership of the ruling party had to support the government, "because it is our government".

The government's responsibility was to implement the decisions and the policies of the ANC.

He warned that if this did not happen "there will be consequences". "Those deployed must report, they must account."

Provincial secretary David Makhura, who also retained his position in the election, said it was no longer "business as usual" when it came to ill-discipline in the party and a lack of service delivery by the government.

"... It cannot be as if there's no impatience among our people. "There are consequences for failure to deliver.

"Our own deployees are found wanting in giving an appropriate response."

During the three-day conference, Makhura said, ANC delegates made it clear that discipline was critical.

"No single member must be exempt from exemplary leadership, including national leadership."

Makhura said in Gauteng, there would be action against ill-discipline, "without fear or favour".

"... Its a dangerous slide. We will set an example in our sphere of influence."

He also warned that action would be taken against those abusing power in government. There were concerns of this occurring, particularly in the run-up to elective conferences.

The party in the province would act against those who used government to "deal with those with whom they disagreed."

He urged unity, now that the election was all-but concluded, saying the party should not "tolerate divisiveness".

"The unity of the ANC is not something for tactical consideration, its a paramount consideration.

"Beyond a conference, once a leadership is elected, everyone should abide by the leadership of conference."

He described the practice of hounding those with different leadership preferences or members failing to recognise elected leadership as "strange" and "foreign to the culture of the ANC".

Makhura hailed the conference as a success and said ANC members' inputs would form resolutions which would carve out the province's contribution to the ANC's national general council to take place in September.

The province's new 25-strong PEC would be announced later on Saturday as the conference concludes.