ANC headquarters, Luthuli House, is up-to-date with payments for municipal services.
This was revealed by Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba during the council meeting held on 13 September. The mayor was responding to a question and request by EFF councillor, Silumko Mabona who instructed the him to investigate whether the ANC had been paying for municipal services. Mabona had said there were doubts that the ANC paid for municipal services ever since occupying their offices in the city centre.
This allegation came as no surprise as the national office of the EFF also released a statement on 12 September, citing the same allegations. “The EFF has learnt that Luthuli House has never paid rates and taxes since moving into the building, that they have fallen behind by years on water and electricity bills and some of the government departments have not paid for more than five years,” reads the EFF statement.
The party alleged that defaults by the ANC have been kept under wraps all along under the leadership of former mayors of Johannesburg and Tshwane, Parks Tau and Kgosientso Ramokgopa.
The EFF has committed to pushing for an investigation of the matter and if it is found that, indeed, the defaults have been protected illegally, they say the two former mayors must be called to account and charged where applicable.
Mabona has confirmed that they have instructed the Member of the Mayoral Committee of Finance in the City, Rabelani Dagada to launch an investigation. “This is not just about Luthuli House. It’s about all offices that the ANC has in the city, including their provincial and regional offices.”
Mabona said it must also be investigated as to when the payments were made. “They only started paying money two months ago when they realised that they lost power and were not coming back into office.”
Mabona added that they also want the issue of City resources being used to guard Luthuli House 24-hours to be addressed urgently. The EFF has called on the municipalities of Joburg and Tshwane to appraise the nation on the status of these accounts and take necessary steps. “If it is indeed found that Luthuli House has not been paying for services, those services must be terminated with immediate effect.
“The same fate must befall government defaulters too. It is irresponsible of the ANC to have subjected our people to the termination of basic services, even the poorest of the poor, while they, themselves, have not been paying,” EFF said in their statement.
