The number of failed former ministers who have in the past been redeployed to the African National Congress's (ANC's) Luthuli House head office is set to be significantly reduced should the party adopt proposed constitutional amendments.

A move to reduce to three the number of members deployed to permanent positions at Luthuli House is among the proposed constitutional amendments put forward by ANC structures. The proposals will be published on Tuesday.

The proposed amendment limits the positions to secretary-general and two deputies.

During a media briefing on Monday following the national executive committee (NEC) meeting over the weekend, Ronald Lamola confirmed that party structures had proposed various changes to the party's constitution.

Lamola, the head of the party's constitutional development committee, said one of the most significant proposed changes was the introduction of a second deputy secretary-general.

The party has had to redeploy more than five NEC members to the secretary-general's office since Ace Magashule's suspension and the death of his deputy, Jessie Duarte.

As such, the proposal to have two deputy secretaries-general has found resonance among the party's structures.

Lamola said that "with regards to the deputy secretary, the rationale is that we will need to have a second deputy secretary who will be able to be assigned specific responsibilities by the NEC".

Should the proposed new resolution be adopted at the ANC's conference next month, the headcount of permanent staff deployed by the NEC will drop significantly.

Several former ministers and NEC members, including Malusi Gigaba, Nomvula Mokonyane, Jeff Radebe, and NEC members Nkenke Kekana, Dakota Legoete, and Sibongile Besani, are employed at Luthuli House. It's been reported that these members are paid the equivalent of a deputy minister's salary, placing further strain on the party's already bloated salary bill.

Over the last two years, the ANC has struggled to pay its administrative staff, with disgruntled employees speaking out over the late payment of their salaries. They have also had to make ends meet after only portions of their salaries were paid.

Delegates attending the elective conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg, next month will vote on the proposal on the first day of the event, ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile said last week.

Mashatile, who is also the acting secretary-general, said deliberations on the proposed change would also take place on the first day.

Lamola said for the proposed change to take effect, at least three-quarters of voting delegates would have to support the constitutional amendment. Just more than 4 500 voting delegates will be attending the conference.

Attempts to increase the number of positions for deputy secretaries-general and deputy presidents have failed in the past.

The party's contentious step-aside rule is also expected to be put to a vote at the conference.

The step-aside rule stems from the party's 2012 Mangaung conference, where delegates deliberated on what should happen when someone tarnished the organisation's image and integrity, usually after being linked to criminal charges.

Given that no mechanisms were in place to ensure that members could be held accountable, the ANC's national elective conference in Nasrec in 2017 resolved to put specific guidelines in place and will now seek to strengthen the resolution by constitutionalising it.

"Once the amendment is made, it can be applied in a manner that is transparent and is also consistent because when it's in the constitution, the NEC and any structures will be obliged to follow the constitution," Lamola said.

He explained that all the proposed changes to the party's constitution were being advanced to "enhance the work of the ANC on renewal".

"They should give the impetus to guide what was started at the 2017 elective conference in terms of restoring the image of the party," said Lamola.