Party members to pay as they go?

THE ANC has some quirky ideas for raising funds over the next five years - selling cellphone airtime is one of the revenue streams considered in the party's financial report.

Fundraising is the ANC's most important source of revenue, contributing as much as 72% of its R1.49-billion income since January 2008.

But tougher economic times have put fundraising under pressure.

The report urges the party to make sure that the Political Party Funding Bill is passed.

A grant from the Independent Electoral Commission - based on the ANC's share of the electorate - currently accounts for 15% of its revenue. Apart from giving itself and other political parties access to more public funds, the report says the ANC needs "to leverage on the quantity" of its members.

The report, by outgoing treasurer-general Mathews Phosa, suggests that members contribute a percentage of their income, 3%, to the party every month. Membership fees account for only 3% of the party's revenue.

The report lists other opportunities that could be "mined" from members:

• Selling pre-paid airtime, in which the party is considering joint ventures with service providers;

• ANC merchandise. The party wants to look at "exploiting the 'brand' that is already a hit in the market place";

• Loyalty programmes at large retailers, where it sees an opportunity "to use its membership base to extract value"; and

• Insurance. The ANC wants to work with an established insurance underwriter to provide life, endowment and bereavement-support products to its members.