ANC to close all its offices on Thursday

The African National Congress (ANC) says all its offices will be closed from Thursday after management received a notice of protest action from staff on Wednesday.

This in support of grievances submitted on 15 June 2021, including late payments of salaries.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ruling party said it was not yet in a position to pay outstanding salaries for July 2021.

“Unfortunately, August 2021 salaries, due on the 25th of this month, are also delayed. I do regret the hardship and the uncertainty that this cause staff and their families, and this is deeply regrettable,” said ANC general manager Febe Potgieter-Gqubule.

Potgieter-Gqubule said the ANC had been able to pay staff over the first 14 months of the Covid-19 pandemic, adding it was behind by three months for the first time.

“We appreciate the commitment and dedication of ANC staff, who despite these difficulties, diligently serve their organisation. We will continue to communicate on this matter as information becomes available,” said the general manager.

With staff threatening a nationwide strike over salary issues, the ruling party said all its offices would be closed.

“As a results of this wildcat strike, ANC offices throughout the country will be closed as of tomorrow. The ANC management will continue to engage with staff representatives on their grievances, with a view to find a solution, so that we can resume normal operations.”

The party was criticised by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu for being “dismissive” by referring to the protest action as a “wildcat strike”.

He tweeted: “Wildcat strike? Workers are not paid for three months and a dismissive reaction from the dying Organisation is to characterise workers’ legitimate demands as wildcat strike? They must close their offices forever!”

The ANC has repeatedly blamed the new Political Party Funding Act for the struggles of it paying staff salaries on time.

ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile previously denied the party was bankrupt, saying the Political Party Funding Act – which came into effect on 1 April – had an impact on the party’s coffers.

READ MORE: ‘We’re not just sitting back and doing nothing’: Mashatile on ANC’s cash flow problems

Mashatile said this did not mean the ANC was bankrupt as funding from its donors had been “trickling in as opposed to previous years”.

“Since the advent of the new law, there has been a great reluctance from many businesses to donate because of disclosure. So, as a result, we have struggled to get money in time as opposed to previous years,” Mashatile told Radio 702.

Additional reporting by Thapelo Lekabe