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Johannesburg - There has been no talk of succession at this year's National General Council (NGC), ANC president Jacob Zuma told reporters on Saturday.
However, he did not think talking about succession was an issue.
"We are a democratic party in a democratic country. Democracy means there is competition, it means that people have got free choice," he said during a meet and greet with media at the NGC in Midrand, Johannesburg.
"I don't know why people get scared when people are saying we think so and so is better than so and so as part of a democratic culture."
The NGC is the ruling party's mid-term review, which comes a little more than two years after its Mangaung elective conference.
As much as the NGC is said to focus on policy, it has also been characterised as a time for lobby groups within the party to test the waters when it comes to support ahead of the next elective congress.
The party will electing Zuma's successor in 2017.
It is understood that a strong lobby-group dubbed the "premier league" is lobbying for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to take over the reins of the party.
There have also been reports of a possible third term for Zuma as party president.
Zuma on Saturday said delegates at the NGC had not been focusing on succession talk but rather on re-evaluating and discussing how policies had been implemented since the 2012 elective congress.
Only when it gets closer to 2017 will it become an issue.
"Now it is not an issue. Even if you wanted to make it an issue.
"I don't think we've heard any delegates talking about succession."
