How much would you pay to sit at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s table at a gala dinner? What would you expect as, you know, aAnd how exactly would you explain these trifling expenses to your shareholders?
What you get for that is six seats at the main table, you can nominate seven guests at a complimentary table, and you get to attend the five business breakfasts during the conference.exhibition stand with a table and two chairs. But wait, there’s more. You also get — hold on to your hat — a plug point. Bonus! I am not making this up.
Assuming all the tables are sold, this would raise a bit more than R4-million for the ANC’s running of the conference, which, by the way, is not nearly enough to cover the conference expenses, and that is even before the vote-buying exercises begin. The President’s election campaign cost R440-million the last time; one hopes this one will cost a bit less. But a mere gala dinner or two really doesn’t cut it. It’s not cheap being a politician in South Africa.
What we do know is that these events were enormously well supported during the Zuma years, which ought in itself to have raised eyebrows. In 2012, for example, guests at the President’s table were paying R500,000 each, as opposed to the R200,000 being paid this year. Clearly, there was a time when getting the presidential nod was potentially more lucrative than it is now. I think this is actually a good sign.
Before you throw away R1.2m to sit next to Pres. Ramaphosa, think where it would be better spent, like GiftoftheGivers or MSF_USA (Doctors Without Borders). Big business should boycott this event: the ANC has shown little care for the poor, preferring looting and high living.