Financial troubles continue to hang over the African National Congress (ANC) as some members await salaries.
Numerous staff, including ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, say they have yet to be paid, leading to a demonstration outside the National General Council (NGC) meeting.
This is not the first time claims of the party struggling to pay its staff have surfaced, with its economic challenges dating back to 2017.
ANC’S MONEY TROUBLES
Some workers affiliated with the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) say the non-payment issue is recurring. However, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu maintains that the party’s deployees are reasonably paid and that they are able to support their families.
Seemingly trying to see the positive in the financial struggles, Bhengu also suggested that if the ANC were corrupt, it would not be facing money woes.
R7.6M DONATION
The claims of the party being in financial difficulty come days after the Electoral Commission (IEC) published the Quarter Two Political Funding Disclosure Report for 2025/26. The report, detailing donations declared from July to September 2025, shows that the ANC declared one “in-kind” donation valued at R358,100 from the Education and Training Unit (ETU).
The donation covered accommodation and conference costs for a training programme supporting ANC trainers preparing for National Dialogue, local government election-related activities and the NGC.
Meanwhile, in the first quarter of the year, the ANC declared R7.6 million in donations from Chancellor House. In addition to donations, the party receives funding from individual members, including ministers and Members of Parliament, who are required to pay an annual membership fee of R20 and make party contributions.
LUTHULI HOUSE EMPLOYEES
In 2022, when some ANC staff had not been paid, then-spokesperson Pule Mabe said the party operated in a “difficult fundraising environment” and suggested that ANC Gauteng and the national structure operate separately.
He added that the Gauteng branch was effectively a “blesser” to branches struggling to maintain salaries. Despite the latest protests and claims of non-payment, Luthuli House maintains that the majority of its employees have received their salaries.
