ANC playing to the 'patriots'
2005-02-10 23:08
Cape Town - The African National Congress is going to ask companies to donate money to the party to buy equipment for constituency work "because it is patriotic".
ANC chief whip Mbulelo Goniwe backs up his statement with the logic that two-thirds of the voters in South Africa voted for the ruling party, and that the democracy goes begging if constituency work is not done among them.
"We are going cap in hand to the business community," Goniwe said, adding that the ANC aimed to use the money for fax machines and other equipment rather than for "direct party-political work".
He believes business people can support democracy if they support parties (such as the ANC) in this way.
He feels parties such as the Democratic Alliance "have been supported by various millions of people all
these years".
He maintains that, on the other hand, the ANC (like the Pan-Africanist Congress and the Azanian People's Organisation) is new to the political game and does not have such advantages, so the playing field must be levelled.
The battle against apartheid
"There are people who think it's dubious business practice to pledge support to the ANC.
"But, this is not true. For instance, it's vital that the ANC veterans' stories about their battle against apartheid be immortalised for the generations to come.
"It's in the country's interest."
He also believes the stories of members of the New National Party and the DA, who could have been in the Volksraadsaal when Dr HF Verwoerd was murdered, could be immortalised.
If business people help ANC MPs with donations for charity work, parliament's oversight role - which keeps spending of tax money in check - "can be better executed," said Goniwe.
This did not mean that ANC MPs suddenly would be more critical of members of the cabinet.
"There is an opinion that the oversight role has to be a
negative one.
"That might be true for the opposition, but experience has taught me that you achieve more by directly questioning ministers about issues concerning your constituency."