‘If the ANC was corrupt, we’d not be poor’: Mahlengi Bhengu on party’s financial woes

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu has addressed the financial difficulties of the party, with some members having not received their salaries for November.

​This led to staff members protesting over unpaid salaries outside the ANC’s National General Council (NGC) happening this week at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg. The protest was supported by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and the ANC Youth League.

Briefing the media on Tuesday, Bhengu addressed the matter, acknowledging the frustration felt by employees. “Public deployees are livid by the ANC and are livid reasonably so that they themselves can be able to feed their families,” she said.

Bhengu uses the party’s current financial woes to defend the organisation against allegations of corruption, saying if the party was corrupt, it would be using state funds to fill the gaps.

“I say if the ANC was a corrupt party — not individuals; the ANC as an organisation — if it was a corrupt party, we would not be poor. We’d be tapping into the resources of the state as a governing party.”

We can’t access resources of the state because it will be fraud, it will be illegal. We have to work with what is applicable and that is what we’re doing.”

—  Mahlengi Bhengu, ANC spokesperson

She argued that the inability of the ANC to use state funds to cover its R20m monthly salary bill is proof that the party, as a collective, is not corrupt.

“I stress that we’ve seen a number of political parties ... they come into power, they grow their headquarters, they grow everything because they can access resources of the state. We can’t access resources of the state because it will be fraud, it will be illegal. We have to work with what is applicable and that is what we’re doing.”

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula previously attributed some of the funding challenges to the Political Parties Funding Act. He said the act, which regulates transparency and limits on donations, has had a negative effect on the ANC due to its sheer size and operational costs.

“We rely on donors who give us money from time to time, and it’s no longer like before. One person is allowed to donate a particular figure, and donors dry up because the financial situation and the bill we are running are high,” Mbalula said.

Bhengu confirmed that the party has been working to resolve the issue, and most employees have since been paid.

“There are ongoing conversations between unions that represent members of the ANC Nehawu and management at Luthuli House.

“We are committed to doing what is correct because the ANC wants to turn around this situation of making sure that our talented members of staff are remunerated on time and consistently, as it should be. They contribute a lot to the success of our organisation, and we need them up and running to do their support — and also that they are able to tend to the welfare of their families.”

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