ANC explains why it left its building as allegations of bankruptcy and ghosts swirl
· Citizen
The ANC in Limpopo’s Norman Mashabane Region has refuted allegations that it has abandoned its building in Tzaneen because it has run out of money.
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Norman Mashabane is the biggest ANC region in the province with 129 branches. It is followed by Vhembe with 127, Sekhukhune with 118, Peter Mokaba with 111 and 84 in Waterberg.
The allegations of bankruptcy come after the party abandoned its plush offices on 3rd Avenue Arbor Park in Tzaneen last year. The party is now renting a small office at 2nd Avenue, a short walk from its previous building.
Allegations swirl after ANC leaves building
There are claims that the three-storey building is currently gathering dust because the party couldn’t afford to maintain it.
The offices were built by the then ANC regional leadership, led by the former chairperson Leswafo Joshua Matlou. They were built in 2010 and opened for use in 2012.
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Former Norman Mashabane regional secretary, Bricks Manzini, known by some as “Mr Come Tomorrow”, said the offices were built through fundraising and donations.
“The ANC Norman Mashabane’s regional executive committee (REC) had agreed in principle at the time that we should build nice offices that would better suit the name of our organisation. We then asked for donations from the well-off, especially businesspeople from the province and beyond the province’s borders. Some donated bags of cement, window frames and panes, while others donated bricks, the roof and furniture. We did not have the budget because we had no money,” said Manzini.
‘Frightening sounds’
Others in the region alleged the ANC has abandoned the building because it has defects.
A former security guard who worked at the building even suggested the building is haunted by ghosts.
“This building is huge. Some offices are empty, without any furniture. You can spend the whole month without entering some of the offices. In some rooms, there are frightening sounds, especially on the third floor. This happens especially in the afternoon or around close of business. But when you go in to check, you find nothing. That is why the ANC resolved to abandon the building,” said the former guard, who asked for his name to be withheld.
ANC building needed ‘a new look’
But the ANC in the region refuted the allegations.
Party regional spokesperson Peter Ngobeni said the building was not being used because it’s being spruced up.
“It is gathering dust not because we are bankrupt or because there are ghosts, but because there are renovations underway,” said Ngobeni.
“After the last elective conference last year, the new leadership took a decision to give our offices a new look. We agreed we needed to raise funds to revamp the building inside and outside,” he said.
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Ngobeni said his Norman Mashabane offices were not only serving ANC leaders or card-carrying members.
“We are using the building to assist the entire community, sometimes with accommodation or any other government or social need. During floods, we can house displaced families, or families experiencing domestic frictions. In light of this, we moved to a lodging area behind Van Velden Hospital to give way for renovations. Work on site is now at an advanced stage. We have planned to go back to our new state-of-the-art building in two months or so,” said Ngobeni.