ANC staff salary woes: Party makes more promises

Many South Africans don’t have much sympathy for ANC politicians these days. As a result, it hasn’t always been easy for ANC staff members to drum up public support over their salary issues. With Christmas now right around the corner, ANC staff members are just hoping they will receive their salary before the holiday.

ANC staff and their never-ending salary battle

Politics aside, this is a horrible position to be in. Especially when you consider that these staff members are not the high earning politicians.

In a report back on the party’s National Executive Committee Meeting from last week, the party said that “urgent steps” to address the salary issue be carried out. The problem? The party’s top-brass have been saying that for months.

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Things are so bad with ANC finances, that we know President Cyril Ramaphosa had to pump in hundreds of thousands of rand in (his own money) in order to steady the ship.

Some ANC staff members now say they have not received a salary at all in the last 3 months. Some also have been left furious after discovering that their provident funds have not been paid since 2018.

The salary issue is affecting ANC staff in all 9 provinces.

No more money for the ANC?

So why exactly are things so bad? Over the last year, party officials have used the new Political Party Funding Act as a scapegoat. Leaders say that several former funders of the party have since backed off due to the donations becoming public.

One funder that hasn’t left the ANC? That’s Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Minerals. The company made a R5.8 million donation during the run-up to last month’s election. The ANC also received R15 million from the Chancellor House Trust.

Despite all of that money, the party is still unable to pay staff and lost several key metros across the country.

Is there a way back for the ANC?