File picture
THE ANC cannot be reduced to a donor-begging party; it must become a self-sustaining party that is able to pay its bills.
This was the view of Eastern Cape provincial executive committee (PEC) member Andile Lungisa, who believes he has what it takes to restore the ANC’s coffers.
Lungisa has set his eyes on the position of treasurer-general (TG) and has laid out his plan to resolve the ANC’s financial woes, should he be elected to the position at the ANC’s 55th conference in December.
Lungisa is going up against former Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina and ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe for the position. They have all confirmed they would be available once nominated by branches.
Whoever takes over as treasurer-general will be faced with the mammoth task of raising much-needed funds for the cash-strapped ANC. The party has not been able to pay salaries, while questions have been raised about how it would pay for the December conference. On Saturday, a group of ANC staff indicated that a picket was being planned for Monday outside the party’s Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg over ongoing pay disputes.
While Masina said he was reluctant to divulge his strategy to replenish the ANC’s coffers, he said when the time is right he would unveil his ideas for the position.
"The ANC treasury function must change from being a bookkeeping function to start (operating) like a treasury. There is a set of proposals that I will reveal later,“ Masina said.
He said the office of the treasurer-general also needed innovation, which he would bring to the office.
"The office of the TG is very important and that is why we are calling for the policy-making function to be centralised and be located in the office of the TG so that the centre must hold," Masina said.
Meanwhile, Mabe had previously proposed that the ANC look into crowdfunding to raise funds. He could not be reached for comment.
Others tipped for the position are Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele and more recently, political adviser to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Bejani Chauke.
Lungisa said for the ANC to be able to sustain itself, it needed long-term sustainable investments in all productive sectors of the economy.
"Like Brazil, the ANC should be able to run its own programmes, including soup kitchens. It cannot rely solely on the government to carry out its programmes; it must have its own identity,“ Lungisa explained.
He said the ANC needed financial muscle through investment.
"The ANC cannot depend on donations like a fish and chips shop. If you get a tender, we must go and ask. That is not sustainable. We cannot sustain the organisation through donors,“ Lungisa said.
Previous reports have revealed how donors have distanced themselves from the ANC, mostly due to its reputation and the Political Party Funding Act.
The act introduced a strict regulatory framework for the private funding of political parties. This includes setting limits for the source, size, and use of donated funds by political parties.
Incumbent treasurer-general Paul Mashatile has previously been accused of neglecting his duties, with some ANC national executive committee members calling on him to step down from acting as secretary-general.
Asked how he would tackle this, should he be elected, Lungisa said: "There is nothing wrong with the image of the ANC. Every individual carries their own name. We will attend to the individuals because there is no tampering with the image of the ANC. We will not be subjected to liberal norms. We are not running a marketing agency.
"We are running a liberation movement and that is why we have to be radical in our approach.“
Political analyst Lukhanyo Vangqa said it was interesting that younger candidates had put their hands up for the position, as it is known to be the position where “political ambition went to die”.
Vangqa, however, said those vying for the position were unlikely to emerge at the conference.
“A nomination from the floor might see (Chauke) emerge as TG, and as things stand, the more likely candidate is Chauke because he does not have complications and limitations like the other candidates,” Vangqa said.
Vangqa added that when the ANC’s guidelines on gender come into play, the position could be taken by a woman.