Hundreds of ANC workers across the country were still waiting for their salaries yesterday.
The party, through its general manager Febe Potgieter, recently penned a letter to the staff, informing them they would not be receiving their salary increments this year, despite it being reportedly approved by the party’s leadership. The decline in voter support has also seen some previous donors stepping back and investments not yielding good results.
Despite the salary uncertainty, the party was adamant that it would pay the staff members by tomorrow.
By late Sunday afternoon, the staff had not been paid, with many fearing that their families would face a bleak Christmas if the uncertainty continues.
Meanwhile, ANC staff in the KZN provincial office, based in Durban, were given a cushion against the non-payment of salaries. They were given food vouchers and R5000 in cash from the office of the provincial secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli.
It is understood the food vouchers are usually handed out together with salaries but, this time around, they came without the payments.
Also, insiders said the R5000 was given specifically to the party, as it has usually been done for years, just to thank it for their work throughout the year.
While uncertainty persisted, some staff members who work from ANC offices (caucus and constituency offices) across the country were paid from funds coming from different legislatures (a normal and lawful process), while others, who are paid directly by the party, were still waiting for their salaries.
“There have always been problems with the salaries paid by the party. However, the other staff, paid by the caucus office, are always paid on time,” said one insider.
Another insider, in one of the regions in KZN, explained that it was only regional secretaries who may have not been paid by Sunday but the rest were paid.
“The other employees are paid by the constituency offices and they are not affected. Only the regional secretary is employed on a full-time basis and paid by the national office,” the regional leader said.
In a response to Independent Media late on Saturday, ANC spokesperson Dakota Legoete said they would pay staff before Christmas.
“Kindly be advised that our payday is the 25th of every month. Against the backdrop of Christmas on the same day, we will consider Tuesday. Furthermore, like any institution we don’t discuss our HR (Human Resources) matters through the media,” he said.
The ANC is not the only party facing financial challenges. In September, the DA told staff that due to declining donor funding and a decline in electoral support in May, it was not paying bonuses as it has done in the past.