Gwen Ramakgopa says she intends to win the race for treasurer general and rid Luthuli House of salary bill of former parliamentarians. (Photo by GULSHAN KHAN / AFP)
Allies of President Cyril Ramaphosa have at times hoped that he could be “more decisive” when dealing with some non-performing ministers”, ANC treasurer general hopeful Gwen Ramokgopa has said.
In an interview with Mail & Guardian, she said Ramaphosa had demonstrated he could be decisive as the president of the ANC and country, but not so when dealing with his colleagues.
She was speaking to the M&G on the heels of Ramaphosa’s decision to challenge the section 89 panel report on the Phala Phala scandal, which found that there was prima facie evidence to institute impeachment proceedings against him.
“In my opinion, he has demonstrated decisiveness. He has also stood firm on the implementation of the step-aside rule, even if, painfully so, against our own secretary general. It’s not easy at all to allow that to be implemented against your colleagues as officials. He accepted when the NEC [national executive committee] decided that the comrade president [Jacob Zuma] should step down as the president of the country.”
She added that Ramaphosa was “very accommodative” and placed great value on social cohesion with the ANC alliance partners, as well as the economic recovery plan during the Covid-19 hard lockdown.
“Maybe some of the attributes may seem a sign of weakness and, yes, we also have wished that he could be much more stringent and much more decisive, especially in terms of performance, you know, here and there with some of our colleagues.
“But he is a hard worker himself and he really admonished us. I want to join him in doing that, and encourage South Africans, all of us, to own the process of rebuilding our country, reclaiming our future together, and being productive towards a shared prosperity.
“So yes, there’s no one who is without mistakes. We all are human. I guess you would also consider him as ordinary as all of us. But yes, he also has this responsibility. Being a leader, both your positive and your negative attributes become exposed. But I think overall, he has taken us through uncharted terrain.”
She said that despite Ramaphosa’s faults, the country had seen an upturn in the economy, as well as the creation of an “investor friendly” climate.
“We have expanded the social grants to more people, especially those that wouldn’t qualify. He is working hard to ensure that we have an inclusive growth of the economy. I guess there’s no leader that is perfect,” she said.
Ramokgopa has ambitions of becoming the ANC treasurer general when the party sits to elect its new top six leaders this weekend.
She said that should she be successful, part of her job would entail slashing the governing party’s bloated staff of former MPs to allow the ANC to “live within its means”.
This could mean that in future, former ministers who failed to be reappointed to cabinet and retreated to Luthuli House would have to find a new source of income.
Previously, the party headquarters was the dumping ground for former ministers, including Malusi Gigaba, Nomvula Mokonyane and Bathabile Dlamini after Ramaphosa fired them from his cabinet.
The ANC leaders would receive employment as now former secretary general Ace Magashule’s support staff at Luthuli House. This was considered a move to consolidate the faction in the party.
Ramokgopa said the ANC was under financial strain because former ministers and MPs received the same salary as they did while in government.
“They are earning and have the expectation to earn those large amounts as well. We have already agreed the treasurer general role does not need to be full time so that we are seen to be living within our means, so that most of the money goes towards programmes and campaigns and servicing members.
“The salary is very, very high, not from the necessary technical support that we need. We have chief financial officers, we have human resource managers that are necessary. It is these high profile positions that are paid for that makes our bills very high.”
This means that a former minister employed by the ANC is potentially earning more thanR2 million and a former MP over R1 million.
The party has been struggling for over two years to keep up with its salary bill. Core staff members have held pickets and strikes over the non- or late-payment of salaries.
In March, the ANC was slapped with a R102 million bill for unpaid taxes by the South African Revenue Services (Sars). Its salary issues have led to challenges in accounting for its membership to the Electoral Commission of South Africa and during its branch general meetings to nominate new leaders.
“It has been very difficult to implement the programme, including the last election. It has been extremely difficult to run that election with the resource challenges and it’s not a good image of an ANC that has a creditor that they are not paid, which also includes Sars although we are solving the matter.”
Ramokgopa said the inclusion of a second deputy general position, instead of a full-time treasurer, would “go a long way” to ensure “that we don’t park many people who have not made it in parliament, without a very clear role and carrying them as a very high salary”.
Ramokgopa was initially touted for the secretary general’s position by some in the Ramaphosa faction, but the possibility of her making it as the party’s chief administrator was dealt one blow after another.
She failed to garner an endorsement from her home province of Gauteng, which opted to pick Mokonyane for the position of deputy secretary general.
She was also left in the cold when the Ramaphosa Renew22 campaign team chose Fikile Mbalula ahead of her. This was replicated by the ANC Women’s League task team, leaving her with no option but to seek the treasurer general position.
With more than four ANC leaders nominated from Gauteng, including Ramaphosa, it will take a huge effort to convince other provinces to vote for a top six without a geographical spread.
In 2017, provinces such as the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal were the biggest losers, having had no representation in the top six. Although the Eastern Cape has laid claim to national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, he is widely recognised to be a member of the ANC in Gauteng.
Ramokgopa said she was not worried about this, adding that the delegates would probably choose a balanced team.
“I don’t think that would be a problem if the delegates are convinced that there is a team that is balanced, so all of us must subject ourselves to the team that will emerge. Initially, I stood for a secretary general and the issues were raised that perhaps the secretary general should be a younger comrade as part of the principles of generational mix.
“I’ve been asked to raise my hand, I have raised my hand, I am available for that within a collective within the principle but I’ve indicated and I’ve no doubt that KwaZulu-Natal can emerge with leaders that can be considered for the various positions,” she said.
Ramokgopa is the second in command at the ANC’s Luthuli House secretary general’s office.
She was elevated into the position earlier this year when Ramaphosa’s allies began to take issue over deputy president hopeful Paul Mashatile’s authority.
Mashatile had taken over the engine room of the governing party following the suspension of secretary general Ace Magashule and the ill health and death of the deputy, Jessie Duarte.
[/membership]