ANC NEC’s weekend headache: Elections, cashflow problems on the agenda

The ANC’s highest decision-making body in between conferences, the national executive committee (NEC), is expected to hold a series of virtual meetings this weekend, to discuss a myriad of challenges facing the governing party and country.

ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said the NEC would hold a special meeting on Friday afternoon, followed by an NEC Lekgotla from Saturday until Monday.

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At the top of its agenda for Friday will be the upcoming local government elections and the party’s financial woes that have seen it unable to pay staff salaries for two months.

Electoral Court withdrawal

This week the ANC surprised many after it withdrew its application at the Electoral Court, hours after filing papers to force the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to reopen the candidate registration process. The party wanted the IEC to amend its election timetable so that it could register its candidates in 93 municipalities, after having missed the deadline.

The ANC said it opted to rather wait for the Constitutional Court’s (ConCourt’s) pending judgment on the IEC’s application to defer the polls to February 2022.

But should the ConCourt rule in favour of the polls going ahead on 27 October, this would mean the ANC for the first time in the country’s democratic history, would not field candidates in 35 municipalities. This would effectively replace it as the governing party in all these municipalities.

ALSO READ: Zille suspicious of ANC’s electoral court withdrawal

The ANC’s decision to withdraw its application caused a lot of speculation on social media, with DA federal council chair Helen Zille questioning whether the ANC had any inside knowledge of the ConCourt’s final decision.

In turn, the ANC dismissed the suggestions that the withdrawal was based on leaks from the apex court. But Zille still insists that the party must explain what changed in the few hours between the submission of their application and the withdrawal.

ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte last week blamed the lockdown restrictions on gatherings and the IEC’s registration system for the party’s failure to submit its candidates on time.

If the ANC wants us to believe they made a "good faith" decision to withdraw their submission to the Electoral Court for the IEC to re-open candidate nominations, they must explain what changed in the few hours between the submission of their application and its withdrawal.

— Helen Zille (@helenzille) September 1, 2021

ANC staff salaries

To add to the governing party’s problems, last week its staff across the country embarked on indefinite strike over unpaid salaries.

ALSO READ: ANC ‘not yet in a position’ to pay staff salaries for July, August

The ANC has blamed this on cashflow problems caused by the enactment of the Political Party Funding Act and the Covid-19 pandemic, among other reasons.

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

It’s been reported that the ANC owes more than R100 million in taxes to the South African Revenue Service (Sars) and has not paid the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), despite making deductions from staff salaries.

To resolve its cash flow challenges, the ANC has resorted to a crowdfunding initiative in order to raise funds for the organisation.

NEC Lekgotla

The three-day virtual NEC Lekgotla, which begins on Saturday until Monday, is expected to focus on government business.

Mabe said in a statement on Friday the meeting would review progress with the implementation of decisions of the January Lekgotla.

The NEC will also focus on the Covid-19 pandemic, economic reconstruction and recovery, local govemment, the capacity of the state as well as climate change.

@MYANC to hold a series of NEC meetings #ANCNEC pic.twitter.com/7WbTvvAfK5

— African National Congress (@MYANC) September 3, 2021

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