The African National Congress's (ANC's) deepening divisions and factionalism remain the biggest threat to the party and the country's democratic gains.

This was a warning shot by the party's leaders, who cautioned about counter-revolutionary threats within the governing party.

The ANC held a two-day Lekgotla at the weekend.

In giving an outline of the Lekgotla's recommendations, the president of the ANC, Cyril Ramaphosa, said the decay and deprivation of the party remained a concern.

The threats to the party's future lay within and outside, Ramaphosa said.

"The Lekgotla recognised our movement is going through a period of decay and degeneration; the ANC has been able to extricate itself from similar situations in the past. It is important not to lower our guard against counter-revolution.

"The threat to our democratic gains is also a result of an era of loss of moral and ethical principles within the congress movement. We need to show determination in addressing the toxic legacy of state capture, resulting in weakened security institutions, misdirected and hallowed out. Divisions and factions in the ANC are becoming a threat to our democracy," Ramaphosa said in his closing remarks at the Lekgotla.

The ANC believes a stronger commitment to defending democracy and acting decisively against ill-discipline may be the answer to the party's crisis.

"The ANC needs to commit towards deepening and defending the NDR. Counter-revolution is wearing a different face in our country. There are expressions of democracy under threat, resulting from the loss of ethical compass and moral direction.

"The ANC and the Alliance reaffirm our support for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the judiciary, and distance ourselves from narratives that seek to negate its transformative intent and gains," Ramaphosa said.