ANC spending R32 million a year on ‘illegally’ paying party workers – report

Funds meant to be used to fund the ANC’s parliamentary caucus have been diverted to pay 99 regional ANC workers, according to a report in the Sunday Times.

A confidential document sent by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) to ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina alleges that R32 million has been taken from state funds to pay the salaries to the 99 workers, who are meant to be paid by Luthuli House or ANC provincial offices.

“It’s a serious issue that can create problems for the ANC if the auditor-general was to look into this,” a caucus staffer told the publication.

Majondina and ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe had not commented at the time of publication.

The full story can be read here.

Nehawu brought up the issue as part of their fight against the proposed retrenchment of 124 of its caucus employees.

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In May the union cautioned against job losses as a result of the appointment of a reduced cabinet by President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying that these measures must not lead to budget cuts in terms of the existing programmes.

Nehawu, one of biggest public sector workers unions, said it welcomed the reduction of ministries as a means to have a leaner and more efficient government that would be preoccupied with prioritising service delivery. But the union warned job losses would not be welcomed.

“Our view is that this should be about the closure of ministries as opposed to departments. The latter must be absorbed or integrated in the related existing departments. We hope this would not lead to a job blood bath of the coal-face public service jobs,” it said in a statement.

“Should jobs be lost in this fashion we will fight fire with fire. As Nehawu, we are more than ready to wage a relentless war should any of our members and workers lose jobs because of this move.”

Nehawu said it hoped that reappointed Finance Minister Tito Mboweni would abide by the vision of the African National Congress (ANC) and not deviate from it.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman. Background reporting, ANA)

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