Mashatile’s plan to save economy all talk, says Maimane

Build One SA leader Mmusi Maimane has poured cold water on ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile’s plan to save SAs ailing economy, taking a swipe at the ruling party for failing to pay employees’ salaries. 

Mashatile made his plan known during an interview with Bloomberg, saying if he became ANC president he would turn the country’s struggling economy around. He described himself as a “can-do” and an “investor-friendly politician”. 

Mashathile also claimed he can turn around Eskom, which has subjected the nation to rolling blackouts since 2008. 

“We know what is wrong with Eskom, so let’s fix it!” he said. “If we have to take on debt, then let us do that. If we have to bring people with expertise for the various power stations, let’s do it, including ... bringing in people from abroad if we need more skills to go in there and assist.”

Reacting to Mashathile’s ambitions, Maimane suggested it was all talk. 

“The ANC treasurer doesn’t pay ANC employees. They don’t have an economic plan for their own home base. We shouldn’t expect anything much from them,” said Maimane. 

Previously, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said the party’s financial challenges are out there for everyone to see.

“Financial resources, especially in the ANC, have dried up because of legislation we’ve put in place and those who used to fund the ANC, because of the disclosure processes, are holding back.

“As a result the enormous expenses the ANC goes through come under a great deal of pressure and we therefore have to scrounge around,” said Ramaphosa.

He said Mashatile “basically spends his time scrounging for money from those who would donate to the ANC”.

Speaking to SABC News at the ANC’s gala dinner earlier this year before the party’s national policy conference, ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said the ANC is not a “bank robbery syndicate” that can predict when it will get money.

He was explaining why the party could not guarantee its staff would be paid on time.

“If the ANC was running a cash-in-transit heist, then it would say: ‘No, we know the robberies we’re going to be conducting in the next two months will give us enough’,” said Mabe. 

“The ANC depends on the people. It is the trust of those people and once the people renew their love, trust and confidence in the ANC and start to reinvest [in] their resources, we will be able to sustain this organisation of Nelson Mandela.”