African National Congress (ANC) National Spokesperson Pule Mabe, has acknowledged that the political party Funding Act has created some constraints and the ANC has had to find innovative ways to fund its operations.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Special Meeting of the NEC in Pretoria which is discussing coalitions in municipalities as well as mayoral candidates, Mabe also says there seems to be a consolidated effort to unseat the ANC by rival parties in many areas.
“This dream of a better life for all and democratising this country and holding on to the values that Nelson Mandela and his generation fought for will collapse if an organisation like the ANC is not sufficiently funded to be able to do its work. We got a long-standing relationship with the Chancellor House, it was really established to be our commercial wing and do the work that it is doing. I mean there is a clear distance between Chancellor House and the work that the ANC does,” explains Mabe.
ANC holds special NEC meeting at Saint George’s Hotel in Irene:
Picketing outside St George
ANC staff members who haven’t received their salaries for the past three months are picketing outside the St George’s Hotel in Irene, in Pretoria.
The staff members, who have been joined by NEC members such as Nomvula Mokonyane and ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini, are accusing the ANC of ignoring their plight.
ANC staffers picket outside Saint George’s Hotel in Irene as NEC meets:
Spokesperson for the staffers, Mandla Qwane, says the revelation of the R15-million donated to the ANC by its investment vehicle, Chancellor House, in August, is a bitter pill to swallow.
“We understood that whatever investments withdrawals that would be done they were going to prioritise members of staff in terms of salaries, in terms of provident funds that have not been paid for three years. In terms of the medical aid that is continually suspended, reinstated and suspended. Now investments are released and the money is taken to elections. It simply means that there is no political will to resolve the issue of salaries, provident funds, and medical aid,” says Qwane.
Mayoral candidates
The ANC’s National Executive Committee is currently finalising its mayoral candidates as well as coalition arrangements with opposition parties.
The party is expected to make public its list of mayoral candidates on Sunday. With new municipal councils having their first meetings on Monday, the party is under pressure to conclude its coalition plans.
Mabe says, “When the NEC concludes the DSG together with TG will then be able to address the media one dealing with the principles of the coalitions but also beginning to announce those comrades that have made it as mayors candidates so that when councils start sitting tomorrow there is a clear line of what ANC caucuses are expected to do.”
