ANC+ministers+for+sale,+Ngobeni+and+Lubisi,+Sunday+Times

Sunday Times, Johannesburg, 18 February 2007
=ANC ministers for sale=


 * WISANI wa ka NGOBENI and DUMISANE LUBISI**

Fundraising scheme allows businesses to buy access to government information

The ANC is selling “face time” with Cabinet ministers and senior government officials for up to R60000 in a controversial new effort to raise funds.

The new scheme already has 2000 paid-up members and promises them knowledge of “upcoming government decisions”.

The scheme offers businesses “silver”, “gold” or “platinum” membership for between R3000 and R7000. Big corporates are charged between R12 500 and R60 000.

Known as the ANC’s Progressive Business Forum, the scheme is run from the party’s Albert Luthuli House headquarters, where a call centre processes applicants.

An agent at the call centre, who identified herself as a “business consultant”, told the Sunday Times the forum was a “private ANC business initiative to assist businesspeople to network with ANC policymakers”.

Asked whether these included civil servants such as directors-general, the agent said: “Yes, it includes all the decision-makers in the country, from the President downwards.”

At its most recent event, Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi was the guest speaker and National Treasury officials were present.

The agent said members of the scheme were better placed to succeed in business than those who were not members. They gained insight into “what government is doing and why” and learnt of “upcoming government decisions”.

New members of the scheme received a “starter pack”, comprising a certificate of membership signed by ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe and a certificate of appreciation from the ANC National Working Committee.

Members also received an “invoice” signed by ANC treasurer- general Mendi Msimang.

Membership fees for small-business people range from R3000 for silver membership, R5000 for gold and R7000 for platinum.

Big corporations pay from R12500 up to R60000, according to Renier Schoeman, the ANC’s national coordinator of corporate liaison.

Schoeman, the former deputy minister of Health, is in charge of the scheme.

According to the call- centre agent the platinum membership for small businesses brought extra benefits such as being put in a draw to win a one-on-one meeting with Finance Minister Trevor Manuel after the Budget speech in Parliament.

Msimang this week confirmed that ministers and government officials, including directors-general, were invited to functions organised exclusively for members of the scheme.

He also confirmed that members had to pay fees to attend the functions.

However, he denied that this amounted to selling access to government officials.

“I do not see anything wrong with it. It is meant to facilitate networking between ordinary business people and those in government. It is all about bringing people together.”

Msimang added that government officials benefitted as they were able to learn about “bottlenecks that may be there” by networking with business people.

“What is wrong when those in government network with ordinary business people? That is a way of popularising yourself,” Msimang said.

According to the ANC call centre agent, the scheme was aimed at “giving support and a networking system to businesses in order for the country to reach the goal of 6% economic growth“ set by President Thabo Mbeki.

Tom Boya, a Limpopo businessman, said he paid R3000 a year for membership of the scheme.

He said the Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation, Gert Oosthuizen, had briefed members of the scheme about business opportunities linked to the 2010 Soccer World Cup long before the issue had become public.

The scheme made it “easier to be closer to politicians”.

“It opens doors and you also get invited to high-profile ANC activities,” he said.

Richard Calland, a party funding expert from the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa) this week described the scheme as “plain wrong” and said it underlined “the urgent need for regulation of party funding”.

Calland said: “If the ANC is selling access to Cabinet ministers in return for cash or cash-in-kind then that is plain wrong.

“To do so in the case of public servants is even worse.

“Selling access to power merely serves to allow already privileged people to buy influence in a way the great majority of South Africans cannot.


 * From: http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Article.aspx?id=388608**

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