The Shikota movement has enlisted one of South Africa’s most influential businesswomen as a key backer and fundraiser.
Industrial Development Corporation chair Wendy Luhabe broke cover this week to reveal her role in the new political formation started by her husband and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa and former defence minister Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota.
Luhabe has sent a text message to her friends, which reads: ‘Dear friends and colleagues, for those of u who wish to support the initiative to convene a successful national convention planned for Nov 1 and 2, you can support by sending a contribution to the national convention fund — please pass this on to other concerned South Africans.”
Luhabe confirmed that she is involved in financing the new movement, while Shilowa said she will ‘contribute some of her own money”.
‘I am helping with the fundraising and giving money as well,” she said.
Luhabe pioneered Women Investment Portfolio Holdings (Wiphold) and the Women Private Equity Fund. A former chairperson of the Vodacom board and chair of the International Marketing Council and Vendome, she is a director of the JSE and has business interests in Ogilvy, Resilience Company and Ralph Blackie and Associates.
Luhabe is also the chancellor of the University of Johannesburg.
According to Shilowa, Luhabe’s efforts have already borne fruit. He said: ‘What we want to do is to ensure South Africans contribute to this party. Wendy’s SMS says: I think it’s exciting times, contribute. Some will contribute R100, others as much as R250 000.”
Shilowa revealed that the movement has borrowed the fundraising model made famous by United States presidential candidate Barack Obama, which invited campaign contributions via the internet and cellphones.
He said an IT company had volunteered to send bulk text messages to groups of people, asking them to forward SMSes worth at least R10 as a contribution to the movement.
The Mail & Guardian has learned that a number of top business people are being lobbied for contributions. Other black entrepreneurs, said by ANC sources to be backing the movement, include Stanlib chairperson Saki Macozoma, SAA CEO Khaya Ngqula, former justice minister and Bowman Gilfillan partner Penuell Maduna, mining boss Patrice
Motsepe and empowerment tycoon Mzi Khumalo.
All have denied involvement in Shikota. It is understood that many business people are hanging fire until the party is officially launched.
Shilowa said a number of CEOs, whom he declined to name, were helping to organise the movement’s weekend convention and had used their connections to secure the Sandton Convention Centre as a venue.
Parliamentary sources told the M&G that some MPs and councillors have been offered their full salaries and additional cash to join the movement and quit their government jobs.
‘People are not only getting their annual salary, but an increase as well. If you’re an MP you get R5 000 more, and councillors R2 000,” an ANC MP said.
Shilowa admitted to offering salaries to those who quit their jobs to support him, but added this would apply only to those who worked full-time for Shikota.
Former ANC Women’s League deputy president Kiki Rwexana this week became the first sitting MP to resign her position. As a committee chairperson she would have earned an annual package of at least R533 125.
Said Shilowa: ‘I have to say to Kiki: I want you to come out and organise women for us. Then I can look at at what point we put her on the payroll.”
Shilowa explained that the ANC follows the same practice — if Luthuli House recalls people from Parliament to work at the party’s headquarters they get paid salaries.
‘Those who we will employ full-time once the party is set up we will pay. But you cannot pay someone simply to leave Parliament or as councillor. You won’t have enough money to do so because you will ask people to leave paid jobs and then come here.”
Shilowa pledged, once the big money starts coming in, to declare its sources in line with the policy that political party funding must be made public.
‘We will go to big business, but because they have yet to contribute I don’t have to indicate who they are. But once they contribute, I will let you know.
‘[We don’t have them yet] but it doesn’t mean we won’t get them.”
Certain key players in the banking, mining and business sector, as well as CEOs of parastatals, have been mentioned as possible funders of the initiative but when contacted, denied involvement.