Its dire financial situation has plunged Africa’s oldest liberation movement into a state of chaos and logistical nightmare.
The ANC’s all-important NEC meeting this weekend was moved around different venues because it could not afford venues that were up to standard.
With coffers drying up and Luthuli House staffers having been paid late twice this year, the ANC Treasurer-General Gwen Ramokgopa’s office could not afford to convene the meeting at the usual venue, Birchwood Conference Centre and Hotel in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.
Alternative venue not at par
Instead, the ANC procured the services of the Lakewood Hotel in the south of Johannesburg. But that decision backfired on Day 1 of the meeting on Friday when the biting cold of south Johannesburg became too much to bear.
The young and old of the ANC complained about the cold at the venue which has no heaters to warm the meeting room and demanded that the meeting be moved elsewhere immediately.
“The SG was very angry and NEC members were all livid. This place is cold, chief, but the Treasurer-General brought us here because they cannot afford Birchwood,” said our informant, who was present when the decision to move elsewhere was taken.
“Even the food was very bad, this cannot be the standard to treat NEC members of a liberation movement.”
Biting chill
So bad was the cold at Lakewood on Friday around 18h00 that a dozen brand-new industrial gas heaters were secured.
The usually slow-selling ANC-branded jackets peddled outside the venue were selling faster than the latest version of iPhone to slay queens at the Diamond Walk in Sandton.
It was at this point that a quick solution was devised to move to the municipal building in Germiston, Ekurhuleni for Saturday.
Disaster continued into Day 2 when a scheduled media briefing for 15h00 was abruptly cancelled.
On Saturday, the chaos continued at the Civic Centre in Germiston.
At exactly 13h00 when the meeting paused for lunch, there were no refreshments available for the delegates.
One hour later, there was still no food. When NEC members were called back into the meeting, they refused to participate, grumbling about hunger.
Food was only served another hour later. The NEC members went back to the meeting just after 15h00.
The ANC financial woes have been simmering for some time. Just in June staff salaries were paid late, which was the second time that was happening this year.
Even at the Liberation Movements Summit last week, which the ANC hosted with its sister parties from SADC, it took last-minute [financial] interventions to get proceedings underway.
“That summit would have flopped or [been] postponed if a certain comrade did not intervene as he usually does and saved the day,” said a person with an eye on ANC financial statements.
“The TG is not coping, quite honestly, because money problems are just constant. But she’s lucky the President and his circle have a soft spot for her and are always willing to come to the rescue.”
Sunday World understands that party boss Cyril Ramaphosa is trying his best to assist the party to conquer its financial problems that are also exacerbated by the fact that the ANC got trapped into the culture of renting. Rentals include its head office, Luthuli House.
Asked for comment, several ANC leaders were non-committal and downplayed the situation.
