Africa-Press – South-Africa. Cape Town – The ANC says it will review a policy in which it retained the staff of former officials on the payroll.
This will be done in an effort to tackle the party’s revenue issues that caused over 300 workers to picket the organisation over late salary payments.
Party spokesperson Pule Mabe said: “We are in the process of doing a second audit of our staff and we wish to assert that we do not have ghost workers.
“The current cash flow challenges are as a result of a variety of factors, including the general economic situation as well as an urgent need to modernise the ANC’s operational and funding models.
“We are committed to paying staff salaries and while the payments may not be at the end of every month, there will be a monthly payment. We acknowledge that the movement must do better to ensure that its staff are treated fairly.”
He also said the implementation of the Political Party Funding Act in April was another of the reasons behind the problem of late salary payments.
Party staffers on Tuesday held a lunchtime picket against what they termed unfair labour practices and to air their frustrations after months of late salary payments.
Western Cape ANC staff representative chairperson Mvusi Mdala said the party had not been paying UIF contributions, even though deductions still took place every month.
“As well as many staff still waiting for their May wages, as workers we have not received a salary increment since 2018. That was also the last time the party made contributions to our provident fund.”
ANC Western Cape convener Lerumo Kalako said the protest came as no surprise and applauded it as legitimate and genuine.
“In this province, we support them for picketing. We have raised the issue as a province with the national office. Last week we, as the provincial leadership, took the initiative to take up a collection for the staff which we handed over to the workers.
“They have given us an official briefing both in the provincial working committee and also at the provincial executive committee,” said Kalako.
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Cape Argus
