By Johnathan Paoli
AfriForum on Wednesday released a “dossier” against ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, accusing him of corruption, political extremism, being a “serial liar” and conduct that threatened South Africa’s stability.
Ahead of Wednesday’s briefing, Mbalula said in a series of posts on X that he was not intimidated by the pending release, adding that the allegations were “wide, vague, and embarrassing”.
But Mbalula’s legal team also wrote to the civil rights group, demanding that it withdraw its statement and call off the media briefing, saying the claims were unfounded and defamatory.
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At the media briefing, AfriForum chief executive Kallie Kriel said the organisation would continue pursuing “individual accountability” beyond South Africa’s borders, while opposing blanket punitive measures against the country.
“We know that punitive measures and economic sanctions will make the joblessness situation worse in the country. We will see growing poverty in the country. And that is why this dossier will also be used to tell the US and other countries that want to take punitive measures against the country, do not act against the country. We do this out of loyalty to South Africa to prevent punitive action against the country,” Kriel said.
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AfriForum said it would use the dossier to argue for targeted action against Mbalula under laws such as the US Global Magnitsky framework, which provides for sanctions against foreign individuals linked to serious corruption or gross human rights abuses.
The dossier centres largely on allegations linked to Mbalula’s 2016 Dubai family holiday, which cost R684 000. The Public Protector found in 2018 that he had violated the Constitution and the Executive Ethics Code over the trip and referred the matter for criminal investigation. The NPA said in 2023 that it would not prosecute because it found no evidence of criminal activity.
AfriForum’s head of its private prosecution unit, Advocate Gerrie Nel, said at Wednesday’s briefing that the matter reflected dysfunction in the criminal justice system.
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“What we are dealing with is a perfect storm. There is a deficient investigation and there is an NPA not acting on a deficient case docket,” Nel said.
According to AfriForum, the trip was not paid for upfront and involved disputed payments, including R300,000 paid by a company linked to a government service provider, as well as other cash deposits the organisation says remain unexplained.
Nel said AfriForum had been trying to push the matter forward for years without success.
“The decision [not to prosecute] reflected either elective prosecution or downright incompetence. There appears to be an intentionally fashioned strategy of selective prosecution and the sheltering of prominent, powerful South African politicians,” Nel said.
Beyond the Dubai allegations, the dossier casts Mbalula as an overtly anti-Western political figure. It says he has voiced “anti-Western and anti-United States (US) views on numerous occasions” and cites, among other examples, his accusation that the US was “displaying fascist characteristics and reinforcing outdated racist ideologies” and his challenge to Washington to “bring on” sanctions against ANC leaders.
AfriForum’s head of policy, Ernst van Zyl, said those positions, together with the corruption allegations, formed part of its case that Mbalula posed a governance risk domestically and a diplomatic risk internationally.
“What we have here is a serial liar that lies without a conscience, will destroy anyone if it ensures that it will help him hold on to power and achieve his agenda, even if those people are completely innocent. Where there is smoke there is fire and currently there are massive smoke signals above Mr Mbalula’s activities and conduct,” van Zyl said.
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In the dossier’s introduction, Kriel says outside intervention has become necessary because domestic authorities have failed to act despite criminal complaints being laid. He says this has entrenched the perception that politically connected figures are shielded from accountability.
The Mbalula dossier follows AfriForum’s prior international campaign against EFF leader Julius Malema. In April 2025, the organisation called for sanctions against Malema and then released the “Malema dossier” in September that year, saying it wanted foreign governments to consider targeted action against him instead of South Africa.
AfriForum said it had delivered the Malema dossier to senior White House officials in Washington. That campaign accused Malema of incitement to violence, corruption and support for extremist causes.