Treasurer General Paul Mashatile Insists the ANC Is Not Broke but Has Plans to Meet Challenges
- African National Congress Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile has come forward to defend the party’s financial struggles, saying they have put plans in place
- Mashatile’s sentiments come just after media reports surfaced that the ANC staff members are preparing to picket outside the party’ headquarters on Tuesday
- At the same time, the former Gauteng Premier has also denied claims that President Cyril Ramaphosa had to get involved to ensure outstanding salaries are paid
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African National Congress Treasurer General Paul Mashatile says the ruling party is not broke, despite latest media reports suggesting otherwise. Mashatile says party officials have plans to mitigate their financial challenges.
According to EWN, Mashatile insisted that the organisation is already putting plans in place to mitigate hardships experienced by staff over salary inconsistencies.
This comes after reports that Chief Albert Luthuli House staff members were preparing to demonstrate outside the governing party's headquarters on Tuesday.
Source: Getty Images
It has also come to the attention of the media that there have been delays as well as non-payment of salaries by the ANC, which has been insisting that it is not broke but merely experiencing cash-flow problems.
Speaking to Talk Radio 702 on Monday morning, Mashatile said that funding from donors had been trickling in slowly. The veteran politician also denied reports that ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has had to dip into his own pocket to pay salaries on behalf of the organisation.
Mashatile responds to bankruptcy
Mashatile said:
“We agreed that they are right to voice their dissatisfaction, but we are putting plans in place. And the top six will be meeting this morning to talk about the plans we will put in place to mitigate the hardships.
"So, it’s not a personal intervention because it won’t be fair if any of the leaders use their private resources.”
eNCA also carried a report on the matter, with the former Gauteng premier rubbishing the claims that the party is running cashless.
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Mashatile said the party has hit a rough patch, like many businesses across the country, because of the raging Covid-19 pandemic. Mashatile told the television station:
"The first time we paid salaries late was in 2019, instead of before Christmas we paid after Christmas, we got our funding late and then of course with the Covid-19 situation, I think you are quite right, maybe twice or so we paid late, especially now in May.”
Still on the same story, News24 reported that ANC staffers are planning to picket outside Luthuli House and other party offices over its failure to pay them.
This in addition to the ANC not paying staff members' provident funds, which have been in arrears for the past 28 months. Petrol and cellphone data claims as well as medical aids have also not been paid.
Ramaphosa addresses youth unemployment
Meanwhile, Briefly News recently reported that Ramaphosa has revealed that youth unemployment has worsened under the Covid-19 pandemic.
In his weekly newsletter ahead of Youth Day on 16 June, the president promised that creating more opportunities for young people and supporting them to access opportunities is government's "foremost priority".
Ramaphosa wrote that the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, which was launched a few weeks before the country went into lockdown, has now entered full implementation.
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Source: Briefly News
