Amidst social and economic challenges, the ANC's upcoming 114th Anniversary Gala Dinner raises eyebrows with its extravagant pricing.
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For the opportunity to wine and dine with the ANC at a fundraising gala dinner alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Durban International Convention Centre, KwaZulu-Natal mayors, regional coordinators and others will need to act fast and pay R2 million to secure a table for their delegations before Friday’s deadline.
According to a notice signed by the ANC’s provincial coordinator, Mike Mabuyakhulu, the event is scheduled for March 27. Funds raised from the dinner are expected to help cover the party’s costs for its 114th Anniversary Provincial Rally, which will take place at Durban’s Curries Fountain the following day.
Ramaphosa will be the guest of honour at the fundraiser and the keynote speaker at the rally.
Tables for the dinner are divided into six categories, with platinum being the premium option. This package entitles entities and the well heeled who are able to afford the fee, a chance to share a table with either the president or Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
A platinum table with Mashatile costs R1.5 million.
Titanium tables, hosted by the party’s allocated national officials or office bearers, cost R250,000.
Gold tables, hosted by ministers, cost R500,000, while silver tables with deputy ministers cost R250,000.
Bronze tables, hosted by MECs and metro mayors, cost R200,000, while brass tables, hosted by local mayors, cost R100,000 each.
In the flyer issued by Mabuyakhulu, the ANC instructed municipal leaders to ensure that their entities fulfil the table purchase requirements.
The directive calls for metropolitan municipalities to acquire ten tables, district municipalities five, secondary cities five, and other local municipalities at least two tables.
The fundraising directive is expected to raise eyebrows once again, as many municipalities are grappling with financial difficulties that are affecting their service delivery output.
Similar ANC fundraising attempts have previously resulted in poor attendance due to steep pricing, including the 2022 national gala dinner.
Last year’s gathering at the Nasrec Centre was notably stripped of extravagant features, prompting calls for a reconsideration of pricing strategies.
Among the attendees then was businesswoman Bridgette Motsepe, who made headlines by purchasing six seats at the president’s titanium table, highlighting the ongoing trend where significant funds are raised from guests willing to pay a premium for prestige.
At the time of publication, the ANC had not responded to requests for comment.
This is a developing story.
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