Picture File: Former employee of the ANC, Carl Niehaus, speaks to the media on 5 September 2021 after laying charges against prominent members of the ANC and the organisation as a whole over lack of payment of staff at the Johannesburg Central Police Station. Picture: Neil McCartney
Spokesperson of the now disbanded uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA) Carl Niehaus has laid criminal charges against the top brass of the ANC, excluding Ace Magashule, along with the ANC itself.
Niehaus, who was fired from the ANC last week, laid the charges of fraud, theft and corruption at the Johannesburg Central Police Station on Wednesday against these five top six officials of the ANC.
Despite claiming on Tuesday that he had the support of numerous other staff members, he appeared to be accompanied by only one other ANC employee.
Further charges laid by Niehaus included contravention of pay-as-you-earn regulations, Unemployment Insurance Fund rules, the Pension Fund Act and the Tax Administration Act.
The charges relate to the non-payment of salaries to ANC employees.
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ANC staff members had initially planned on taking legal action against the governing party’s leadership over the matter.
The disgruntled Luthuli House staffers were expected to file court papers last Friday, in which they accuse the ANC’s leadership of allegedly making UIF and medical aid deductions from their salaries, but not paying them over to the relevant entities.
However, the ANC staffers backtracked on this move.
The ANC’s top six comprises president Cyril Ramaphosa, deputy president David Mabuza, chairperson Gwede Mantashe, deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, treasurer-general Paul Mashatile and suspended secretary-general Magashule.
The ANC has been experiencing cash flow problems for some time, with staff members complaining for months that they have not been receiving salaries on time.
The ruling party hasn’t been able to pay its staff since July 2021.
Last month, staffers embarked on a wildcat strike after learning they were not going to receive their salaries on time.
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There are almost 250 staffers who rely on Luthuli House for their paychecks.
The ANC has been scrambling to find money and resorted to crowdfunding, increasing membership fees and levies, and agreeing with provincial structures “to take over the salary bill”.
The party has repeatedly blamed the new Political Party Funding Act for its financial struggles
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