Fana Mokoena throws shade at ANC: 'We have different priorities in life'

Former EFF MP Fana Mokoena has taken shots at the ANC's election manifesto launch, bringing up the party's money woes.

The ruling party launched their election campaign at Church Square in Tshwane on Monday evening, making several promises to improve the country if re-elected.

The event lacked the glitz and glamour of previous launches but a large stage and screens dominated the square.

Taking to Twitter, Mokoena said given a choice between building an “expensive stage” and paying salaries, he knew what he would do.

“I don’t know, but if I had a choice between erecting an expensive stage and paying my employees’ salaries, I would certainly opt to pay salaries and protect livelihoods. But that’s just me. We have different priorities in life. Ithi ngiphume lapho. Molweni bakurhi,” he wrote.

The ANC has failed to pay salaries on time on multiple occasions. 

Kgothatso Madisa wrote for TimesLIVE that The Sunday Times reported the ANC has not paid Pay As You Earn (PAYE) deductions to the SA Revenue Service (Sars) and that it owes the tax authority more than R80m, which led to its bank account being garnished.

The party had also reportedly failed to pay provident and pension fund contributions to the administrators despite making deductions from employees' salaries.

It started a crowdfunding initiative last month, hoping it will get its members and supporters to participate in funding ANC programmes and activities. 

The ANC's head of elections Fikile Mbalula told 702 last week that affected staff members would “understand there is a campaign and there is no counter to the employees in relation to what is our priority”.