ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has alleged that Ezulweni Investment, a KwaZulu-Natal-based printing and marketing company, had offered substantial bribes to two of their staff members to forge documents to falsely claim that the company had rendered services to the party during the 2019 general elections.
Mbalula said this was according to the forensic investigation by Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs Forensics (ENS).
He said the investigation, completed early in 2023, revealed criminality and corruption between Ezulweni and the unauthorised staff members.
"The report provides incontrovertible evidence of Ezulweni offering substantial bribes to the two staff members. These individuals, in turn, forged documents presented to Ezulweni, falsely indicating that the ANC had engaged in their services.
"There is no evidence to suggest that Ezulweni was responsible for erecting posters and banners for the ANC during this period. If they did, it was under fraudulent pretences," he said.
He addressed the media at the ANC Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg on Wednesday on issues regarding the domestic and geopolitical environment.
The matters included the Ezulweni Investments, meeting with Hamas and the rand manipulation saga.
The Sheriff of the High Court in Johannesburg arrived at the party's headquarters on Monday to seize assets worth more than R102 million.
Ezulweni Investment claimed that the ANC owed them about R102 million for their branded goods such as banners and posters it ordered and received during the 2019 election campaign.
Mbalula denied and asserted that there was no way he would not have seen such a deal worth millions for only posters and banners.
"This R102 million is a lot of money and Ezulwini wants to liquidate the party. They never rendered service," he said.
In the 2019 general elections, he was appointed as the head of elections to oversee the various aspects of the campaign, including procuring election materials.
"As the Head of the Elections campaign then, the Treasurer General (TG) Paul Mashatile and I had complete oversight of contracts and approvals for election materials. We dealt with several companies, and were approached by Ezulweni to provide such materials," he said.
He said they had engaged with different firms but not with Ezulweni for their election campaign.
Furthermore, by taking the matter to the Constitutional Court, Mbalula hoped that it would consider the facts given by the reports. "This issue is significant for the ANC and of national importance, given the public interest it has garnered," he said.
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) had already dismissed, with costs, the ANC's appeal against a high court judgment that the party was responsible for the outstanding amount for the election material.
He vowed that no one would liquidate the ANC, adding that he could put his head on the block.
"We fear fokol, I can put my head on the block, no one will liquidate the ANC," he said.
At the time of publication, IOL tried obtaining a comment from Ezuwleni, but to no avail.
kamogelo.moichela@inl.co.za
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