Lungani Zungu
The ruling party hasn’t paid its employees for the third straight month – and many risk losing their houses and cars.
The ANC’s deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte said they are struggling to pay the workers.
Many donors dumped the ruling party after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Political Party Funding Act into law in 2019, she said.
This act compels political parties to publicly disclose their donors.
Duarte said political parties relied on donors to stay afloat.
However, an ANC mid-level employee crushed these claims.
“That is not true. If we rely on donors, why then do senior people continue to get their salaries on the 25th without fail,” asked the employee, who did not want to be named, fearing victimisation.
The employee, who had been working at Luthuli House for 10 years, said the non-payment of salaries was deliberate.
“If I don’t get paid until next week, I would have to surrender my car because I can’t afford to pay for the instalments anymore.”
The senior staff members are paid on time, while the employees from middle to lower staff have been waiting for three months.
While the ANC pleaded poverty, people such as suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule continued to get his R133,000 monthly salary.
Also worth noting, was that nothing had changed in the lifestyles of ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile and Duarte, who still had bodyguards and got their salaries on time.
Sizophila Mkhize, a member of the ANC Youth League, expressed her anger.
“August 25 was supposed to be the payday, but exploitation reigns supreme in ANC headquarters.”
The plight of ANC employees at Luthuli House cannot be ignored anymore, she said.
Workers at the ANC headquarters were on a go-slow for the past week due to the non-payment of salaries.
This led to the party sending its candidates for the local government election at the eleventh hour on Sunday.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said this was an internal matter.
In a letter sent to staff members on Wednesday, ANC general manager Febe Potgieter said she regretted the non-payment of salaries.
“Unfortunately, August 2021 salaries, due on the 25th of this month, are also delayed.”
