Flooding, broken tiles and stinky toilets: Niehaus slams the state of ANC’s Luthuli House

Controversial politician and former ANC member Carl Niehaus says Luthuli House, the ruling party’s headquarters in the Johannesburg CBD, is a disaster waiting to happen.

Speaking to The Citizen, Niehaus said Luthuli House was in such a poor condition that the toilets were not properly working, the wallpaper was coming off in some offices, and the building looked dirty from the inside.

According to Niehaus, there were also plumbing problems that had caused the entire basement to flood.

Luthuli House lost its luster

“Albert Luthuli would be disappointed that the building looks the way it does. [President Cyril Ramaphosa] lives in such luxury, how does he feel walking inside that building,” Niehaus said.

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Niehaus was expelled from the ANC a year ago. He said during his time there he had raised issues about the maintenance of the building several times.

“You know if you walk into Luthuli House in the front reception you do not get a professional experience at all. In some of the offices, the wallpaper is coming off, the tiles are broken, and the toilets stink. That place is in bad shape,” Niehaus said.

According to Niehaus, Luthuli House was already a shell by the time he left the ANC. He said the building was being used by only a few people and had become inaccessible to the public.

“When I raised these issues I was seen as someone who is always complaining about the ANC. There is a Trellidor [security gate] on the front of the building that makes it uninviting for people to come there as a revolutionary house,” he said.

The Citizen has requested comment from the ANC on the state of Luthuli House. Any update will be included once received.

Winnie Mandela House

Niehaus, who is now an EFF member, said he was impressed with the state of the red berets’ headquarters.

He said the building, which is in Ghandi Square in the Johannesburg CBD, was not only clean but had state of the art technology fitted into their boardrooms and media room.

“The staff are professional and it looks like a home for a respected political party,” Niehaus said.

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According to Niehaus the state of Luthuli House reflected the state of the internal affairs of the ANC.