Problems in the organisational structure of the African National Congress (ANC) have led to a lack of accountability by councillors, ANC veteran and former speaker of Parliament Frene Ginwala said on Monday.

"When we returned [from exile], [the ANC] decided not to establish a parliamentary party, but decided to retain the branch as the basic unit of organisation, decision making and choosing leadership.

"We did not consider adequately, the link between the branch and local government," Ginwala told an audience at the annual Ruth First lecture in Johannesburg.

"Even today, many of the problems arise from the complicated governing structures we had."

Ginwala said that while ANC branches were intended to hold local government accountable, the reality was very different. She said this was because the organisational mechanisms for such accountability did not exist.

"Rarely has action been taken against councillors who are corrupt and ignore the ANC structures," said Ginwala.

Also speaking at the Ruth First lecture was columnist and academic Jacob Dlamini.

Dlamini had done a case study of a local branch in Katlehong and was careful to note that the distance between theory and reality could be great.

He argued that in the aftermath of President Jacob Zuma's election in Polokwane, political commentators had exalted the branch as having been responsible for that event.

Dlamini said the branch he examined, even at a size reduced from its original 22 000, was still too unwieldy.

"In 2008, it took the branch eight attempts to form a quorum for its annual general meeting," he said.

In addition to this, the branch was divided in its loyalities to different members, despite new members "making an oath to oppose factionalism".

Dlamini quoted one branch leader as saying: "We do not have members of the ANC branch, we have members of members."

He also recounted a story by a leader who claimed to be the only member of his branch to support Zuma.

The branch leader said that those members who were loyal to former President Thabo Mbeki cut him out of decision making by scheduling a meeting an hour earlier than he was due to arrive.

"But, the Mbeki faction was in for a surprise," said Dlamini.

The branch leader was able to attain delegate accreditation through his contacts in Johannesburg.

"He said he saw one of the delegates from his branch who asked, 'how did you get here?' 'I told him to voetsek!"

Dlamini said that the debate around Mbeki and Zuma itself, and how it was remembered, revealed a great deal about the shifting alliances within branches.

"This is quite interesting... we think of white people who 'never supported apartheid'. You find in the ANC that no one supported Mbeki."