ANC election own-goals likely to lead to loss of power

For the ANC, it never rains but pours: low staff morale due to unpaid salaries has put a question mark over whether the ruling party will be able to campaign effectively in the upcoming local government elections.

Commenting on the ANC’s financial woes, independent political analyst Dr Ralph Mathekga said: “It is clear that the ANC has financial problems.

“If you cannot pay staff salaries – people that help to set up your election campaign – you are in serious trouble.

“The financial problems of the party are likely to become bigger, because there is no longer a reliance on donors, like before. The ANC now has to raise funds transparently like anybody else – a completely new way of doing
things.”

On Wednesday, ANC general manager Febe Potgieter-Gqubule informed staff the party would not pay their salaries for August, in addition to the outstanding salaries for July.

“I do regret the hardship and the uncertainty that this causes staff and their families,” Potgieter-Gqubule said. The announcement provoked threats from staff – expressed anonymously to media – that they would go on strike. However, the ANC suggested the threat was made by agitators, while some insiders claimed the salary issue was part of broader factional infighting.

Sunday World newspaper also reported that the party has been dragged to court in a nearly R6 million claim from polling company Ipsos for service rendered since the beginning of 2019.

The party, in addition, faces millions in legal claims from some of its suppliers from previous election cycles.

The ANC’s cash crunch is understood to be exacerbated by numerous factors, including the scrutiny on its fundraising activities led by the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and the new Political Party Funding Act,
which forces parties to disclose the details around donations of R100,000 or more – a requirement that many businesspeople are not comfortable with.

The ANC this week also made an appeal to the Electoral Court for an extension to rectify candidates’ lists, which, according to analysts, was an indication of serious administrative disorganisation.

While other political parties easily complied with the Monday deadline of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to submit candidates’ lists, the ANC said it was approaching the court to reopen the process for corrections
and additions to be made.

Some reasons the ANC cited:

• The Covid alert level 4 banning of meetings for most of July. It affected more than 15,000 branch and community gatherings to nominate and hold community meetings with ward candidates.
• The impact of Covid-related restrictions on meetings. The party said the debacle would lead to voters being unable to vote for the ANC in about 35 municipalities.

But political analysts blamed noncompliance on internal administration. University of Johannesburg politics professor Siphamandla Zondi, who described the ANC’s request for an extension as “embarrassing”, said the party was likely to face a gradual decline in voter support.

This is embarrassing, especially in the face of the ANC’s promise to renew itself. It set back efforts at bringing about a new dawn.

“If it is unable to field candidates to contest every ward, its losses could be major.”

He said the ANC’s inability to timeously convene all branch meetings to conclude the candidates’ list process was “an admission of its own failure”.

“The ANC government announced the elections date months ago, giving all parties time to get their electoral ducks
in a row,” said Zondi.

University of Pretoria politics lecturer Roland Henwood said the party exhibited “disorganisation on top of fragmentation”.

“This will increase the tensions and pressures on the leadership across the board. The IEC now becomes embroiled in the ANC interparty contestation, which may undermine a free and fair election,” said Henwood.

University of South Africa political science professor Dirk Kotze said: “Most other parties are not complaining about IEC processes.

If it is not a universal problem, it is unlikely that the Electoral Court will grant the ANC the extension.

“In past by-elections where the ANC submitted a similar request due to a late submission of nominations it was disqualified. To retain its credibility, the IEC has to be strict.”

Neither party national spokesperson Pule Mabe nor ANC head of campaigns Fikile Mbalula were available for comment on the party campaigning budget.

– brians@citizen.co.za