‘Bosasa will harm the ANC financially’

THE Bosasa scandal emerging from the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture will harm the ANC financially, according to ANC Eastern Cape treasurer Babalo Madikizela.

Speaking at an ANC Eastern Cape fund-raising dinner in Mthatha on Friday night, he said running an organisation like the ANC was becoming more expensive while revenue kept shrinking.

“It is going to be worse with the revelations that have been made by (Angelo) Agrizzi (at the Zondo commission),” he said. However, he welcomed the arrest this week of Agrizzi and others allegedly involved in corruption.

Madikizela said the ANC required at least R550 million to run its campaign for the 2019 general elections. The party raised at least R13 million through its provincial fund-raising gala dinner on Friday night.

The event also attracted interest from business people in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Kwazulu-natal, and Gauteng. Madikizela, who hosted the fund-raiser, said the money raised was far beyond their expectations.

“When we were preparing for the provincial conference (in 2017), we were singing Sizakujika izinto (things will change), and we can really see that things have changed,” said Madikizela.

“We are very grateful for this event to all the businesses people from the Eastern Cape and other provinces. I received calls from business people from Limpopo and Mpumalanga and I see some of them here tonight (Friday).

“I also received calls from business people from Kwazulu-natal and they offered to buy a platinum table. Initially we were supposed to have one platinum table but due to demand we ended up selling four,” he said.

The platinum tables were sold at R500 000 each and gold tables for R250 000. About R11 million was raised through the selling of tables and another R2m was raised through the auctioning of artworks and additional donations.

ANC deputy president David Mabuza had been scheduled to attend, but he withdrew despite being in the province earlier in the day.

ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, who was the main speaker at the event, said Mabuza withdrew due to “domestic issues”, but did not provide further details.