The African National Congress was selling “face time” with cabinet ministers and government officials in an effort to raise funds, the Sunday Times reported in its early edition.

The scheme already had 2 000 paid-up members and promised businesses knowledge of “upcoming government decisions”. It was run from ANC headquarters Albert Luthuli House in Johannesburg where a call centre processed applicants.

It offered “silver”, “gold” or “platinum” membership for between R3 000 and R7 000. Big corporates were charged between R12 500 and R60 000.

The Sunday Times quoted an unnamed agent at the call centre as saying that the scheme was “a private ANC business initiative to assist business people to network with ANC policy makers”. It was also intended to help the country achieve its target of six percent economic growth.

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 was doing and why and learnt of “upcoming government decisions”, she told the newspaper.

Renier Schoeman, the ANC’s national co-ordinator of corporate liaison, was in charge of the scheme.

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

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.” He said government officials benefited by being able to identify “bottlenecks that may be there”.

The Sunday Times quoted scheme member and Limpopo businessman Tom Boya as saying that Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation, Gert Oosthuizen had briefed members about opportunities linked to the 2010 Fifa World Cup long before the issue had become public.

“It opens doors and you can also get invited to high-profile ANC activities,” he was quoted as saying. He paid R3 000 a year for his membership.

Party funding expert from the Institute for Democracy in South Africa, Richard Calland, was quoted as saying: “Selling access to power merely serves to allow already privileged people to buy influence in a way the great majority of South Africans cannot”. – Sapa
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