A recording obtained by News24 over the weekend suggests that the ANC is to considering retrenching around half its staff in the face of a severe funding problem.
ANC Treasurer General Paul Mashatile told the party’s National Executive Committee that the organization would need to ‘right-size’ itself, and that this might mean reducing staff by 50%.
The ANC has been dogged by financial difficulties. Over the past few months, salary payments have been late, and at the beginning of May, SARS reportedly garnisheed the party’s allocation from the Independent Electoral Commission to pay for outstanding taxes.
‘Officials have agreed that we’ve probably had to cut our staff by 50%,’ Mashatile said, ‘But these reports will come to the NEC. A lot of work is being undertaken. Comrade Febe (Febe Potgieter-Gqubule, a senior manager in the party’s administration) is leading the process of restructuring and right-sizing.’
The party would need to look at funding strategies, including the possibility of crowd-funding.
Spokesperson Pule Mabe declined to comment on the matter, saying that reports of this nature were intended to divide the ANC, even in the face of the ‘united spirit’ displayed by the party in its NEC meeting.
[Image:Umhlanga Rocks Urban Improvement Precinct]