ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula Denounces Alleged Bribery and Fraud by Ezulweni Investment

The African National Congress (ANC) faces a tumultuous challenge as Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula goes on record to allege serious malfeasance. Mbalula claims that Ezulweni Investment, a KwaZulu-Natal company specializing in printing and marketing, attempted to subvert the political giant via bribery and forged documents. This controversial statement was spurred by findings from a comprehensive forensic investigation.

In an investigation by Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs Forensics (ENS), completed earlier this year, substantial evidence pointed to criminal and corrupt interactions between Ezulweni Investment and certain unauthorized ANC staff members. Mbalula, detailing these findings to the press at the party's Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg, disclosed that the forensic report showed Ezulweni offered significant bribes to two staff employees. These staff members, in a grave breach of trust, produced counterfeit documents to suggest that the ANC had procured services from the company during the 2019 general elections campaign.

Further complicating the matter, the party has been confronted with a financial debacle; the Sheriff of the High Court in Johannesburg laid claim to assets over a disputed R102 million. Ezulweni Investment insinuates an outstanding debt from the ANC for branded election goods—a claim that Mbalula fiercely denies, citing the absence of any genuine service rendered.

The Secretary-General, who played a central role during the 2019 elections as the head of the campaign, and Paul Mashatile, the then Treasurer General, have vehemently refuted any authentic contractual engagement with Ezulweni. Instead, Mbalula highlights that multiple credible companies were involved in the acquisitions for the campaign, not including the entity in question.

Taking the battle to the highest legal echelons, Mbalula and the ANC are pushing for the Constitutional Court to evaluate the findings from the forensic report. Having endured a dismissal from the Supreme Court of Appeal, the ANC remains unshaken in its resolution to clear its name. Mbalula's words resonate with a bold defiance against those attempting to undermine the ANC, stating emphatically that no party liquidation will occur under his watch.

As the Secretary-General lays everything on the line, assuring the ANC's resilience and integrity, Ezulweni's response to these assertions remains unheard. Further developments are keenly anticipated as South Africa watches this high-stakes clash of politics and purported corruption unwind.