Leading political analyst Xolani Dube says the fact that the ANC received a notice for the attaching of property at its Luthuli House head office is testimony to the ANC’s inability to manage itself or run the country.
“It’s no surprise that a court order has been granted for their property to be attached. It’s not the first time that the ANC has not honoured its commitments, or defaulted on payments. We need not look at this in isolation because in the past, the party failed to pay many people,” he said.
Dube said the fact that many ANC employees would spend this Christmas without their salaries was a clear indication that the ANC exploited black people.
“The ANC cannot manage itself, so how can they run this country? They don’t want to honour their commitment and now hotel owners are reluctant to host their events. This brings into question how they are able to govern,” Dube said.
Attempts to get comment from ANC national spokesman Pule Mabe or Dakota Legoete failed as their cellphones rang unanswered yesterday.
Marketing, communications and reputation expert Clive Simpkins cautioned service providers to be aware of ANC’s messy finances, because they had often featured in the media, including late payment of salaries.
“Suppliers know there’s a risk of late payment or no payment without nagging,” said Simpkins.
“From an image and reputation point of view, the ANC, like the [Democratic Alliance], has a gift for scoring own goals. The low ANC credibility as a party, given the massive corruption which continues to be exposed, means that anyone doing work with or for them needs to bear in mind the caveat emptor warning, which is ‘let the buyer beware’.”
Dube said the ANC was “clearly a rogue institution that is corrupt and failing in all aspects of its life”.
“It has no credibility now. When they talk about radical economic transformation, small business development and being an organisation of the poor, they don’t mean it.
“We know they are exploiting their workers. How can they claim to be behind the working class as their motive force for change when they are exploiting and not paying their workers.
“Many workers at Luthuli House will go to Christmas without their salaries paid, but their leaders will go to holiday resorts,” Dube said.
“It’s not a self-respecting organisation. It is just using people as vehicles for votes.
“This country is run like a pirate ship … they are sea robbers. Their own secretary-general is in court on charges of corruption and other leaders are facing similar allegations.”
The analyst said the two ANC factions were connected around corruption.
“What makes Cyril Ramaphosa, or Paul Mashatile, or Zizi Kodwa different to Ace Magashule, Jacob Zuma or Bongane Bongo?
“The whole issue of these mythical factions in the ANC are a facade created by the media to divert our attention from the reality that there is oneness in the ANC corruption,” Dube said.
Simpkins said service providers should ask for a 50% deposit when doing business with the ANC.
“Don’t do work for political parties without a 50% deposit, up front, of the agreed contract price,” he said.
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