The sheriff of the court swooped on the cash-strapped ANC’s Sahara House offices after the party failed to pay R1.8 million it owes the CTICC.
|||The sheriff of the court swooped on the cash-strapped ANC’s Sahara House offices on Thibault Square this week, attaching several items after the party failed to pay R1.8 million it owes the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
However, the office furniture and equipment seized was worth only about R13 000, according to Joey Pather, the CTICC’s chief operating officer.
Debt collectors have been chasing the ANC over unpaid rentals, election and electoral conference debt since last year. The CTICC debit is for its electoral conference held last February, where current ANC provincial chairman Marius Fransman was elected.
In September the Western Cape High Court instructed the ANC to pay up, but ANC insiders told Weekend Argus that staff at Sahara House could do nothing but watch as the items were removed.
“They came in, started writing up and moving things. They took what they could. The next thing there was bickering and arguments among party members over who owned what. Members of the various leagues as well as the veterans spoke up when the sheriff wanted to take their furniture as well,” a source said.
Another member said the sheriff arrived during a press conference at the Matzikama municipality on the West Coast. To make matters worse, “
a delegation from Luthuli House was at Sahara House at the same time, apparently to discuss centenary celebrations, but the venue had to be changed… as there were hardly any chairs left to sit on”.
There were also telephone problems at the office last week.
“Workers were forced to go to other ANC offices to make calls,” said the insider.
ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile declined to comment.
However, other senior members claimed the debt had been paid, but had not been reflected by the time the sheriff arrived.
Pather said the ANC signed a settlement agreement in December to pay monthly instalments of R100 000, by the 7th of every month.
“They have defaulted on both the December and January payments”, and the sheriff consequently went to attach the assets.
He said they had, however, since received one payment of R100 000, and another payment for the same amount remained outstanding.
warda.meyer@inl.co.za - Weekend Argus