The African National Congress's (ANC's) subcommittee on peace and stability said corruption was a "cancer" and it would be one of the issues discussed at the party's upcoming national elective conference.

Subcommittee member and Minister of Energy David Mahlobo said on Monday that the party was ready to host delegates from across the country and discuss serious issues affecting law enforcement, the judiciary, military and other institutions that fall within the committee's mandate.

"When we arrive in Nasrec (the venue of the ANC conference) we will also spend more time discussing issues of corruption – corruption which is a cancer, that affects all facets of our lives," he said.

Mahlobo said all forms of corruption would be discussed, including private sector corruption.

He said although the Competition Commission did good work, more could be done to fight corruption.

"The only thing we want as the ANC is that corruption must be corruption. It can't be given different names," he said, adding that the committee would be looking at the behaviour of big corporations.

"Our country, when you compare it with others, it remains relatively stable. Inasmuch as the country remains stable, there are a number of challenges that we are facing that [require] our attention. Among these challenges we face are the activities of those that seek to undermine our revolutionary advances," Mahlobo said.

Crime

Mahlobo said one of the biggest concerns for the committee was the issue of crime, especially against women and children.

"We are also going to look at the continued lawlessness and impunity which starts to threaten the stability of the state," he said.

Mahlobo said the subcommittee would also be looking at legislation around bail applications and the ease with which suspects get bail.

He said the police often did great work to arrest a suspect, only for the suspect to be granted bail and arrested for a similar crime.

Mahlobo said the Department of Home Affairs was an important part of the security cluster, as it was crucial in dealing with immigration control and managing the country's borders.

He said the issue of the rollout of a border management agency was also an important part of the department's work.

Mahlobo claimed that a large number of foreign nationals were responsible for crimes committed in the country.

"We are not raising these statistics as the ANC on the basis that we want to be xenophobic in outlook," he said, adding that crimes were committed by people of all nationalities.