Johnathan Paoli
THE ANC claims that the Deputy Sheriff of the court had no legal right to attach property following the party’s recent court loss and said that the process should have been paused pending an appeal to the Constitutional Court.
ANC national spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, said that the party had received legal advice that there was a reasonable prospect of success in the Con Court.
On Monday the Sheriff was allegedly prevented from seizing assets at Luthuli House, the ANC Headquarters.
The spokesperson said that the party has referred criminal charges against some of its members regarding its R102 million election banners contract with Ezulweni Investments.
Bhengu-Motsiri said that an internal forensic report had shown that members within the party acted irregularly when entering into the contract with Ezulweni.
“We found some culpability out of that forensic report. We have referred criminal charges and those are underway. Some of these narratives may not be informed by the full understanding of the work we are doing to improve good governance within the ANC as part of the renewal agenda,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
Bhengu-Motsiri said that the party was financially stable enough 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.
“The ANC is certainly not broke – I can say this categorically. How do I know this? The ANC is paying its staff month-on-month, and the ANC is meeting its obligations such as its tax obligations, municipal bills, and creditors,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
Ezulweni Investment has said that it believed the ConCourt would not overturn a previous ruling ordering the ANC to settle the R102 million it owes the company.
Ezulweni Investments spokesperson, Peter Fernando, said that the issue between the company and the ANC was a civil matter and not a constitutional one.
“This type of case is not supposed to be taken to the Constitutional Court but somehow they are trying to buy time I guess,” Fernando said.
The attachment of ANC equipment has been suspended pending the finalisation of the party’s appeal to the Apex Court.
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