ANC staff pay: ‘protector must step in’
THE now-fired ANC member and spokesperson for the disbanded uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans’ Association, Carl Niehaus, together with some aggrieved ANC staff members are expected to lodge an official complaint against the party’s national office bearers with the public protector this morning.
This is in connection with the recurring non-payment of salaries.
Yesterday, Niehaus said aggrieved ANC employees had previously laid criminal charges of theft, fraud, corruption, and various statutory crimes against the national office bearers (NOB’s) of the ANC who were now taking the matter further.
“This complaint concerns the failure of the government agencies that are in terms of legislation responsible for regulating the Provident Fund, PAYE etc to act against the ANC.
“It is of serious concern that these government agencies have not taken up the matter of the ANC having, for an extended period of time, made deductions from employees’ salaries, but not having paid over the deducted monies to the relevant government institutions,” Niehaus said. It was “inconceivable” that those government agencies had not been aware of “such criminal acts” by the ANC, he added.
Niehaus is expected to join the aggrieved ANC members at the offices of Public Protector House in Hillcrest, Pretoria, this morning.
Once the official complaint was filed, the employees would make their complaint document available to the media, and address the media outside Public Protector House, he said.
In addition, the group would also provide an update on the progress regarding the criminal case against the ANC, which Niehaus said was being closely monitored and dealt with as a priority case by the Hawks.
Meanwhile, 56 military veterans who were arrested for an alleged hostage situation last week are due to make their first court appearance this morning.
The 56 people, including seven women, were likely to face charges of at least three counts of kidnapping after Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele, Defence Minister Thandi Modise and her deputy, Thabang Makwetla, were allegedly held against their will at St George’s Hotel and Conference Centre in Irene, Pretoria.
Police are said to have used stun grenades to defuse the situation. Niehaus, who weighed in on the matter, said it was not a hostage situation.
“It is incorrect and unnecessarily alarmist to allege that a hostage situation unfolded at the St George’s Hotel and Conference Centre.
“At no stage was there any violence or threat to the lives of the two ministers and one deputy minister.
“It was a total over-reaction for special forces to have been sent in, which used excessive force to resolve a non-existent hostage and non-violent situation,” he said.
The ministers detailed what transpired, saying they had had a meeting with military veterans but could not progress as the veterans demanded that President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza be the ones to address their needs.
When they reached a stalemate, the trio opted to leave, but the veterans allegedly blocked the exit.
Although they spent hours in the room, Gungubele said there was no violence.
That sentiment was echoed by Modise, who said their lives were never in danger.