‘No room left in ANC for those sowing seeds of division,’ says Ramaphosa

There is no room left for anyone opposed to the renewal of the ANC, said President Cyril Ramaphosa at the gala dinner on Saturday night ahead of Sunday’s January 8 celebration.

ANC renewal process

“This process of renewal is not only irreversible, but it’s also irrevocable, it cannot be stopped,” he said.

Delegates at the ANC’s 55^th national elective conference had agreed to no longer allow “harmful organisational practices that have contributed to the decline of the ANC in recent years,” he said.

“They stood firm to renew and unite our organisation.”

there is “no longer any room left for those who are opposed to the renewal process. No room at all. There’s no longer room left for seeds of division [to be sowed] in the African National Congress<” Ramaphosa said.

Minimum criteria

One of the resolutions taken by the ANC is that members will have to meet minimum criteria before being considered for government positions.

However, the party has yet to finalise what the minimum criteria will be.

Among the resolutions adopted at the ANC conference was that the deputy secretary-general must ensure efficient and effective consequence management. Nomvula Mokonyane was recently elected into this position.

ANC raises R6 million

Meanwhile, the cash-strapped ANC said it has raised millions of rands in the buildup to the January 8 celebrations.

Some of the seats at the ANC’s gala dinner on Saturday night went for astronomical prices.

To sit at Ramaphosa’s table cost R1.2 million per person, while a seat with ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile was R1 million.

Places at the lower end of tables, which will include ANC officials, ministers and NEC members, went for between R30 000 and R760 000 – with the seat with the lowest cost, at R5 000, at a table with no official host.

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The party exceeded its target of R6 million, ANC treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa told the Sunday Times.

The money the ANC received from individuals and companies would not lead to tenders, Ramokgopa stressed.

“Mostly corporates bought tables … I was firm that buying a table was not transactional. So, no expectation of tenders,” she said.  

“I believe that democracy makes it possible for businesses and individuals to thrive on opportunities. And this democracy must be funded. So, to help a political party is to help fund democracy because political parties work to sustain and grow democracy.”

Cash-strapped ANC

In November, Mashatile, who was then ANC treasurer-general, said the cash-strapped party was planning to sell assets to pay off its debt.

He said the ANC was R500 million in arrears. 

The ANC has blamed the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA) for donors becoming reluctant to give it money.

“Many companies are a bit reluctant, but also there’s a limit on how [much money] people can donate in a year. That has created a lot of restraint on our fundraising efforts,” Mashatile said.

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