Johnathan Paoli
ANC treasurer-general (TG) Gwen Ramokgopa has denied rumours and speculation surrounding the ruling party’s allegedly dire financial straits.
Rumours of bankruptcy follows an incident where the sheriff was denied entry at Luthuli House- the party’s headquarters – after an attachment order was granted to Ezulweni Investments to try and recoup monies owed by the ANC.
The ANC and events company Ezulweni have been in a four-year court battle over a R140 million charge for campaign material during the party’s 2019 campaign.
The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein and the South Gauteng High Court have ruled that the ANC must pay its debt, however the matter is now in the Constitutional court, following the party’s appeal.
Ramokgopa said the matter with Ezulweni was not an issue of affordability, but one of a legal nature.
“As I’ve indicated the ANC has really recovered significantly. It’s not about paying the creditors. We have fully paid SARS, we have fully paid our overdraft. We are not, as yet, where we want to be but the question of liquidation is really far-fetched,” the TG said.
In addition, national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri previously said that the party did have the financial means to pay Ezulweni, however, it believed that a different court would agree with its assessment that the contract between it and the company was irregular.
SG Fikile Mbalula said that while President Cyril Ramaphosa had shown interest in the matter, it was expected to be handled by the party’s legal team, despite rumours and calls for his involvement.
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