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 at an ANC 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 up to R2 million to secure a table 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 is expected to help cover the party’s costs for its 114th Anniversary Provincial Rally, which will take place at Curries Fountain the following day.
Ramaphosa will be the guest of honour at the fundraiser and the keynote speaker at the rally.
The fundraising initiative has not been well received by residents and political analysts who spoke to the Daily News.
They said the party appeared to be out of touch with reality, the price tags attached to the tables could place an unnecessary burden on municipalities, and such endeavours could ultimately prove costly for the ANC at the Local Government Elections, later this year.
Tables for the dinner are divided into six categories, with platinum being the premium option. This package entitles entities and well-heeled individuals who can afford the fee the opportunity to share a table with either the president or Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
The 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 adhered to the call for table purchases.
The directive asks metropolitan municipalities to acquire ten tables, district municipalities five, secondary cities five, and other local municipalities at least two tables.
Similar ANC fundraising attempts have previously resulted in poor attendance due to steep pricing, including the party’s 2022 national gala dinner.
Last year’s gathering at the Nasrec Expo Centre was stripped of extravagant features, prompting calls for a reconsideration of pricing strategies.
Among the Nasrec attendees were 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.
As expected the fundraising directive has already raised eyebrows as many municipalities were grappling with financial difficulties that are affecting their service delivery output.
Gcinokuhle Msomi, an ANC Youth League member based in Durban, expressed concern about what he described as the party’s growing disconnect from the realities faced by many South Africans living in poverty.
“The ANC has lost touch with reality,” Msomi said.
“We don’t need this kind of attention, especially when preparing for local elections. This could cost us votes in future elections.
“People are increasingly frustrated, calling the pricing model a reflection of the party’s insensitivity during a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet,” he said.
Political analyst Goodenough Mashigo highlighted the ANC’s systemic challenges with fundraising, arguing that such initiatives should be handled by professionals who can ensure transparency, efficiency and ethical practices.
“When donations lead to government benefits, accountability is compromised,” he said, referencing patronage concerns that emerged during the presidency of Jacob Zuma.
Mashigo added that the ANC’s structured table pricing — which ranges from R100,000 for brass tables to R2 million for platinum packages — had raised eyebrows amid widespread financial strain on municipalities.
Another analyst, Andre Duvenage, warned of the risk of alienating voters.
“The question is who would pay such amounts to sit with the president?” he asked, suggesting that the event could inadvertently bolster opposition parties’ criticism of the ANC ahead of local elections.
Duvenage proposed that the ANC should explore more innovative fundraising avenues to generate income.
Fanle Sibisi, the ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson, attempted to ease the escalating criticism by emphasising the importance of the fundraising initiative while indicating that no one was being pressured to purchase the expensive tables.
He confirmed that the statement outlining details of the dinner originated from the ANC and was intended as an invitation to members and supporters, including deployees, to attend in their individual capacities or to sell tables as part of the ANC’s fundraising initiative.
“It is not the ANC’s instruction that mayors, in particular, are compelled to buy tables or that they should utilise municipal funds to buy them for the dinner. The ANC expects the majority of the dinner tables to be purchased by the private sector.
“To this end, members and supporters of the ANC in the private sector are also expected to sell tables to ensure the fundraising dinner’s success,” he explained.