ANC late paying contractors

The ANC continues to be embroiled in spats over millions of rands in unpaid bills to contractors, according to reports

VWV Interactive — the company involved in staging a production for the African National Congress centenary celebrations earlier this year — was still owed millions, the Mail&Guardian reported.

VWV said subsequent to payment not being received in full, some of the people and companies it had hired had only been paid 50 percent of the money owed to them.

However, the ANC has disagreed, saying the money, R6.2 million, is under dispute as the live performance in Bloemfontein was rained out.

“We didn’t cause the rain. You could say the rain washed away the payment,” said ANC treasurer general Mathews Phosa.

VWV’s chief executive Wanda Shuenyane disagreed.

“We have not been informed of any dispute based on force majeure [irresistible force, a legal clause in supply contracts].

“It is public knowledge that the show screened on television [twice]... because [the main show] was entirely rained out. But we have not been informed of any dispute based on that.” 

Shuenyane also said the amount owed was closer to R10 million.

The ANC is also embroiled indirectly in other legal spats, as other subcontractors take primary ANC-hired contractors to court to recoup losses.

HEFTY ANC CENTENARY BILL 

More than R12 million was spent on accommodation and “protocol support” for heads of state and others who attended the ANC’s centenary celebrations in Mangaung, it emerged on Thursday.

In a reply to a Democratic Alliance parliamentary question, International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said the department spent R11,014,000 on accommodation for 50 heads of state and nine “foreign eminent persons” and R1,010,981 on “protocol support” which included logistics and meals.

“On 5 December 2011, Cabinet took a decision on the attendance by heads of state and government, of the ruling party’s centenary celebration in January 2012,” she said in the reply.

“The decision followed the historical importance of the event and interest by heads of state and government and fraternal ruling parties to attend the milestone anniversary of the ruling party.” 

The costs were incurred following a Cabinet decision that Dirco should fund the “requisite support” and “associated costs” for heads of states attending the ANC centenary.

According to Nkoana-Mashabane, an average of R203,813 was spent on each foreign delegation attending the event.   DA spokesman on international relations Wilmot James said the costs seemed “exorbitant”.

“Protocol could not possible dictate that a country in which more than 2.5 million people live on less than US2 [about R15] per day, and that has a housing backlog of two million, allocates this kind of money to accommodation and other services to visiting heads of state,” he said.

“As our democracy matures we do, however, have to question how far the ANC has become removed from its historical heritage when it supports a decision that directs public money to luxuries for VIP visitors.”