ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula addressed the media at the party’s headquarters, Luthuli House, on Wednesday. Picture: Itumeleng English Independent Newspapers
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the ANC has never conducted any business with Ezulweni Investments for procurement of 2019 elections campaign posters.
Mbalula, who was at the time head of elections, said he and then-treasurer of the party, Paul Mashatile, never approved or dealt with Ezulweni for its election campaign.
Mbalula has accused the printing company of fraud, adding that this was a heist executed with those from within the party. He further added that those found guilty are being dealt with through internal disciplinary processes.
Mbalula discussed various topics, including the election manifesto, NHI, and the party's stance on Palestine, during a media briefing on Wednesday.
The address on the matter was the second such address after ANC national spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri told the media about the litigation that almost resulted in the seizure of ANC office assets on Monday.
“They connived and because they have connections in the party connived to do this... there was never procurement from Ezulweni. This is a fraudulent matter. There are people we owe and we have entered into payment agreements with them. This is the first time this has happened. We never procured any services and the courts because of our position have found against us,” Mbalula said.
This despite Ezulweni having succeeded in securing four attachment orders against the ANC following four court judgments including the latest ruling of the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Last week, the Supreme Court of Appeal, Judge Trevor Gorven said the party’s version that it had no contract with Ezulweni Investments was “utterly untenable”.
However, the ANC has pinned its hopes on the Constitutional Court after approaching the court to intervene in the matter.
This week, the printing company said it was hopeful that this matter would be finalised sooner by the Apex court as they have waited for more than five years to finalise the matter.
“We are not fighting a case of a black company... the ANC has entered into terms with companies we have worked with. They decided to defraud the ANC. They never came to our agenda. My signature and that of treasurer Paul Mashatile were obtained fraudulently. Mashatile never signed nor concurred as nobody including myself had the authority to sign off R102 million to procure posters. They know that but they still insist, we never entered into terms with them,” he said.
In what appears to be a back-and-forth war between the KZN-based printing company and the ruling party, Mbalula accused the company of having misrepresented itself to the ANC.
Mbalula said in spite of documents proving that he knew and approved the contract between the ruling party and the printing company, he denied that the party had entered into an agreement for the company to provide for its 2019 election campaign material which now is said to have cost R102 million.
Responding to Mbalula’s assertion, founder of Ezulweni, Renash Ramdas said he will await the outcomes of the Concourt to rule on the matter.
“I think Mr Mbalula has a clear agenda to collapse the ANC. He clearly does not understand the law. We will wait for the courts to decide and will give instructions to our legal team to continue with the liquidation against the ANC,” Ramdas said.
The Star
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