Union asks ruling party to fork out thousands for election rally.
THE ANC is being billed thousands of rands by suppliers to a rally staged by the Unemployed Worker Union (Unewu) – because the union says it can’t pay.
But the provincial ANC is less than impressed, and says it did not organise the rally and while it may be able to help, it should not be stuck with the bill.
The suppliers contracted by Unewu provided food, drinks and ANC T-shirts at the Mdantsane rally on April 5.
Premier Phumulo Masualle was a keynote speaker at the event and used the stage to criticise officials implicated in the Mandela funeral funds scandal.
Jabulani Ntusi, a former bodyguard to former Buffalo City mayor Zukiswa Faku, who leads Unewu said yesterday the ANC should pay the service providers’ bills.
One supplier, Zolani Tombe, said that after the event he spent R42000 on expensive bottles of whisky and cognac at the Jameson Inn BnB in Quigney where VIP delegates spent the night drinking and encouraging each other to “vote for the ANC on May 7”.
Earlier he had provided 3000 T-shirts emblazoned with ANC and Unewu emblems.
Jameson Inn owner Arthur Shorten said he accommodated the delegates at a cost of R30000 and also had not been paid.
“They keep sending me from pillar to post every time I inquire about payment,” Shorten said.
Ntusi said he was “disappointed” that the ANC had not yet paid the suppliers, claiming he was only made aware last week they had not yet been paid.
“Our arrangement was that the event would be under the banner of Unewu and that the ANC would foot the bill,” he said.
“As you know we are the organisation of the poor – we don’t have money.”
The provincial ANC lambasted Ntusi for passing the buck to them.
The party’s provincial spokesman Oscar Mabuyane said the rally had not been an ANC rally.
“It is not correct for the member to involve the ANC on this matter. It was not an ANC rally it was a union rally in support of the ANC. The ANC is not part of the equation.
“The reality is that there are processes to be followed in the organisation when dealing with such matters.
“We will discuss it as the ANC with the possibility of assisting but in the mean time the member must answer as to why he cannot pay the service providers.
“It is not the responsibility of the ANC.”
Other suppliers Luleka Isaac, Thyilelwa Tetyana and Amanda Pamehlo said they had supplied sandwiches and juices to the rally. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
ANC told to cough up
THE ANC is being billed thousands of rands by suppliers to a rally staged by the Unemployed Worker Union (Unewu) – because the union says it can’t pay.
But the provincial ANC is less than impressed, and says it did not organise the rally and while it may be able to help, it should not be stuck with the bill.
The suppliers contracted by Unewu provided food, drinks and ANC T-shirts at the Mdantsane rally on April 5.
Premier Phumulo Masualle was a keynote speaker at the event and used the stage to criticise officials implicated in the Mandela funeral funds scandal.
Jabulani Ntusi, a former bodyguard to former Buffalo City mayor Zukiswa Faku, who leads Unewu said yesterday the ANC should pay the service providers’ bills.
One supplier, Zolani Tombe, said that after the event he spent R42000 on expensive bottles of whisky and cognac at the Jameson Inn BnB in Quigney where VIP delegates spent the night drinking and encouraging each other to “vote for the ANC on May 7”.
Earlier he had provided 3000 T-shirts emblazoned with ANC and Unewu emblems.
Jameson Inn owner Arthur Shorten said he accommodated the delegates at a cost of R30000 and also had not been paid.
“They keep sending me from pillar to post every time I inquire about payment,” Shorten said.
Ntusi said he was “disappointed” that the ANC had not yet paid the suppliers, claiming he was only made aware last week they had not yet been paid.
“Our arrangement was that the event would be under the banner of Unewu and that the ANC would foot the bill,” he said.
“As you know we are the organisation of the poor – we don’t have money.”
The provincial ANC lambasted Ntusi for passing the buck to them.
The party’s provincial spokesman Oscar Mabuyane said the rally had not been an ANC rally.
“It is not correct for the member to involve the ANC on this matter. It was not an ANC rally it was a union rally in support of the ANC. The ANC is not part of the equation.
“The reality is that there are processes to be followed in the organisation when dealing with such matters.
“We will discuss it as the ANC with the possibility of assisting but in the mean time the member must answer as to why he cannot pay the service providers.
“It is not the responsibility of the ANC.”
Other suppliers Luleka Isaac, Thyilelwa Tetyana and Amanda Pamehlo said they had supplied sandwiches and juices to the rally. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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