DA retrenching staff

Hundreds of Democratic Alliance employees are facing a bleak future as the party informed them on Wednesday that they are being retrenched.

This was being done with the aim of improving the party’s operational effectiveness as per last year’s recommendations of its review committee, the party said.

This was revealed in a letter sent to all employees on Tuesday and was now circulating on social media.

Internal DA staff members reckon between 300 and 600 workers would lose their jobs.

DA Spokesperson Solly Malatsi confirmed that the party was finalising a process of laying off its staff members, but he declined to say how many people would be affected.

He said the retrenchment had nothing to with the country’s economic meltdown caused by the downgrading and Covid-19 crisis.

“You will remember that when the review committee presented its report to the organisation last year, one of the key recommendations was to align our operations with our political objectives,” he said.

FINALISING: DA Spokesperson Solly Malatsi

In the letter dated 26 May, the Federal Council told the employees the retrenchment was “necessary to ensure we remain a robust and effective opposition party focused on accountability, growing our vote and remaining financially viable.”

But an aggrieved senior party leader said the DA was in financial dire straits because their traditional funders are turning to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“They are hiding behind the review committee, but the truth is that the DA is running out of money, which is why two weeks ago we were begging for donations for legal cases.

“Our donors have left and they are now giving money to Ramaphosa,” said the source.

However, Malatsi denied that the party had a cash flow problem.

“The organisation is in a financially healthy position,” said Malatsi.