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Vol 56 No 12

Published 12th June 2015


South Africa

Money worries

Deepening financial problems in the African National Congress could hamper its campaigning for next year’s local elections

The governing African National Congress is in such dire financial straits that it could not pay staff salaries at the end of May. So it is looking to rich black economic empowerment (BEE) tycoons and companies for short-term donations to plug the hole in its finances. The ANC Treasurer General, Zweli Mkhize, personally telephoned wealthy businessmen such as Patrice Motsepe, Robert Gumede and Cyril Ramaphosa's Shanduka Group, to seek help in addressing the shortfall, we hear. Calls were also made to the Gupta brothers – Ajay, Atul and Rajesh – who are closely allied to President Jacob Zuma and his family. This is despite the embarrassing row that erupted two years ago when it emerged that the Gupta brothers had secured access to an airforce base near Tshwane for private jets ferrying visitors to the wedding of their 23-year-old niece, Vega Gupta, a scandal dubbed 'Guptagate'.

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