Jacob Zuma holds out begging bowl to business

President Jacob Zuma put out a begging bowl to big business even as the ANC spent the past week holding lavish parties to celebrate its 103rd birthday.

Speaking at the party's gala dinner on Friday night at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Zuma told about 2500 guests that entrenching democracy in South Africa was becoming pricey and the party needed financial support from the business community.

"You know democracy ... it's very expensive, time-consuming, very costly. And if the ANC has to maintain that route [of] democracy, it must be strong," he said.

"It must be strong financially, not so? So I always appeal that ... just one cheque. Just sign and give it to the treasurer-general. Give us figures but not more than six ... Please support your organisation for the future of this country [and] to be successful."

This is the second time that Zuma has used the ANC's annual celebration to link the fortunes of business to the party's continued governance of South Africa.

Two years ago, at the party's 101st celebrations in Durban, Zuma drew criticism from opposition parties when he boldly told his audience that those who supported the ANC would see their fortunes multiply.

Then he said: "We're not forcing people ... you can support and be a supporter, but if you go beyond that and become a member, [and] if you're a businessman, your business will multiply. Everything you touch will multiply. I've always said that a wise business person will support the ANC ... because supporting the ANC means you're investing very well in your business."

Zuma, whose party is said to be taking financial strain, repeated his argument on Friday night that businessmen who funded the ANC stood to make more money.

"If you run a business, you must know that if the ANC at any point can be weaker, your business will be weaker," said Zuma to loud applause from his guests.

"For your business to be strong, make the ANC strong ... you must invest wisely, so if you are a wise business person, invest in the ANC, that's a wise investment."

Mining magnate and billionaire Patrice Motsepe and his wife Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan and ANC stalwart Ruth Mompati were among those seated with Zuma and his wives Thobeka Madiba-Zuma and Bongi Ngema-Zuma at the presidential table.

ANC staff members said Motsepe had paid R3-million to secure the table. Other tables ranged from R150000 to R400000, depending on their proximity to Zuma's table.

These figures could not be independently verified with the ANC as party officials have consistently refused to discuss the matter in public.

Former Eskom CEO Brian Dames and former South African Revenue Service commissioner Oupa Magashula were among those occupying a table right behind Zuma.

Zuma gave an hour-long lecture about the formation of the ANC.

A large number of guests were only able to enter the venue after Zuma had delivered his speech, including Gauteng premier David Makhura.

One aggrieved business executive was seen seeking the intervention of ANC treasurer -general Zweli Mkhize as guests remained stuck outside the venue because they had not been allocated tags with table numbers.

While Zuma lamented the expenses related to running a democratic system, his party went all out to splurge on its 103rd birthday.

The party's 80 national executive committee members, including its top six officials and provincial leaders, arrived as early as Monday in Cape Town, where most of them stayed at pricey four- and five-star hotels such as the Taj, 15 on Orange, the Westin Grand, the Cullinan and the Protea President in Sea Point.

A standard room at these hotels costs between R1750 and R3000 a night.

The party hired 800 buses and 1200 taxis to ferry ANC comrades and supporters from other provinces. Others were transported by Metrorail trains free of charge from townships on the Cape Flats.

A reliable source said the party negotiated discount prices from state-owned rail utility Prasa.

It had to pay R2.2-million up front for yesterday's use of the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point after hard bargaining by the DA-led City of Cape Town, and paid just over R1-million to rent the convention centre.

The ANC also had to pick up the tab for the accommodation and travelling of artists who performed at yesterday's rally, such as DJ Merlon of Koze Kuse fame, Arthur and Chomee, Dr Malinga, Oskido, DJ Siyanda, Zahara and DJ Vetkuk vs Mahoota. Artists in their league charge as high as R80000 per gig, although some are known to volunteer their services to the ANC as they are card-carrying members.

A weekly newspaper last year reported that the ANC was broke and was struggling to pay its staff at Luthuli House, but the party has repeatedly denied that it is facing a cash crunch.

The ANC lost 16 parliamentary seats following last year's general elections, which resulted in a R20-million decline in its electoral funding.

The party is also said to be deep in debt. It owes millions to a number of companies that have provided services to it - including R29-million it owes Robert Gumede's IT company Gijima. Gumede was conspicuous by his absence at the gala dinner.

Independent Newspapers owner Dr Iqbal Survé and Eskom CEO Tshediso Matona were among those at the gala . Western Cape businessmen and women, perceived as sympathetic to the DA, generally snubbed the event.

The dinner started more than two hours late as ANC officials scrambled to sort out chaotic seating arrangements. Some executives were not allocated tables despite forking out hundreds of thousands of rands for the dinner.

Extra tables were set up at the last minute to accommodate them .

However, ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa denied there was any chaos. "You are always looking for a scoop or gossip. You like spoiling people's events. What matters is that the dinner happened. Some guests arrived late. Why don't you ask them why they arrived late?" a visibly irritated Kodwa said.

mokoneth@sundaytimes.co.za, shobas@sundaytimes.co.za