The ANC wants out of their lease at Sahara House‚ a property in the Cape Town CBD linked to the Gupta family.
Provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said on Monday that the search was on for new offices in the city and said the existing lease contract was being “sorted out”.
It was widely reported that the party had once used the offices rent free. But things changed after some members in the province refused to back President Jacob Zuma in the run-up to the 2012 Mangaung elective conference.
At one stage the party had to negotiate with the Guptas when they were about to be evicted for not paying rent‚ according to previous comments by former provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile.
Jacobs revealed the plan to relocate when asked about the contradiction
In the ANC in the Western Cape condemning state capture yet operating from provincial headquarters linked to the Guptas – who featured prominently in former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s State of Capture report.
“Currently‚ we are using the provincial constituency office of one our MPs as a provincial office ... we have a contract with Sahara House and… we are reviewing that contract‚” said Jacobs.
“We are getting a bigger building and so we move out of this office within the next few months ... to ensure that there is ample parking that is accessible to our members‚” he said.
He said suspended provincial party chairman Marius Fransman had used Sahara House as his constituency office and it was paid for by the ANC caucus in the province.
Fransman is a Zuma supporter.
He resigned from the Western Cape provincial legislature last year after he was asked by the party to step aside from his position because of allegations that he allegedly sexually harassed his employee.
Jacobs denied that they liaised directly with the Guptas about the lease‚ adding that they dealt with a Mr Moonsamy.
TMG Digital/The Times
ANC wants out of 'Gupta building' lease in Cape Town
The ANC wants out of their lease at Sahara House‚ a property in the Cape Town CBD linked to the Gupta family.
Provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said on Monday that the search was on for new offices in the city and said the existing lease contract was being “sorted out”.
It was widely reported that the party had once used the offices rent free. But things changed after some members in the province refused to back President Jacob Zuma in the run-up to the 2012 Mangaung elective conference.
At one stage the party had to negotiate with the Guptas when they were about to be evicted for not paying rent‚ according to previous comments by former provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile.
Jacobs revealed the plan to relocate when asked about the contradiction
In the ANC in the Western Cape condemning state capture yet operating from provincial headquarters linked to the Guptas – who featured prominently in former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s State of Capture report.
“Currently‚ we are using the provincial constituency office of one our MPs as a provincial office ... we have a contract with Sahara House and… we are reviewing that contract‚” said Jacobs.
“We are getting a bigger building and so we move out of this office within the next few months ... to ensure that there is ample parking that is accessible to our members‚” he said.
He said suspended provincial party chairman Marius Fransman had used Sahara House as his constituency office and it was paid for by the ANC caucus in the province.
Fransman is a Zuma supporter.
He resigned from the Western Cape provincial legislature last year after he was asked by the party to step aside from his position because of allegations that he allegedly sexually harassed his employee.
Jacobs denied that they liaised directly with the Guptas about the lease‚ adding that they dealt with a Mr Moonsamy.
TMG Digital/The Times