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South Africa’s Cash-Strapped Ruling Party Turns To Crowdfunding

Recently, ANC employees marched to the party’s offices in downtown Johannesburg, demanding that their salaries be paid

THE ANC, South Africa’s ruling political party, has started an online crowdfunding initiative to aid the cash-strapped group in resolving its ongoing salary issues which have left some party employees aggrieved.

The party shared a poster on social media, asking for contributions towards the party’s fundraising attempts, including an account number and branch code. The initiative was confirmed by ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe on Saturday.

‘Political parties from time to time pick up financial challenges because of growing commitments that they may have, things have changed now we have the political funding act, it is because of the economic situation we are now finding ourselves in,’ Mabe added.

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‘We are confident that the kind of fundraising approach that is being looked at will take the ANC out of the current problem we find ourselves in.’

Mabe said that the party’s treasury-general, Paul Mashatile, had been considering various models and innovative methods of organising resources, including crowdfunding.

The spokesperson proclaimed the party’s confidence in the fundraising approaches being looked at, which he said will take the “ANC out of the current problem we find ourselves in.”

ANC staff members are currently expected to begin strike actions on Thursday, Media24 reports, after having apparently reached a breaking point over unpaid wages stemming from the party’s lack of funds.

Unpaid staff salaries and ‘fake news’

Recently, ANC employees marched to the party’s offices in downtown Johannesburg, demanding that their salaries be paid. Some staffers haven’t been paid in 2 months, according to the state broadcaster SABC.

Meanwhile, Independent Media reports that Mashatile’s office has rejected what it calls a misleading statement by ‘faceless people’ who had alleged that a selection of business people donated money to the treasury-general, Mashatile himself.

‘The treasurer-general wants to place on record that the claim is not only false but also malicious and plays on the current challenges facing the ANC,’ said Mabe.

‘We view these fake news as designed to further cause confusion on the matter of staff salaries. We want to assure everybody that our challenges will be resolved based on a number of initiatives approved by the National Officials,’ he said.

Currently, the initiative seems to be limited to social media. There is yet no word whether or not the party will increase the scope of the funding campaign, or leverage any 3rd party crowdfunding platforms.

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