By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) secretary general Fikile Mbalula has responded to allegations that he distributed money at the party’s 2017 and 2022 elective conferences.
Mbalula was speaking on the sidelines of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Boksburg on Friday,07 August 2026.
The NEC is meeting to discuss and adopt the party’s manifesto ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The party’s NEC member Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on a podcast alleged that money has played a role in ANC leadership contests.
She was reflecting on her unsuccessful bid for the presidency at the party’s 54th National Conference in 2017, where Cyril Ramaphosa was elected ANC president.
“I thought I was going to win, but maybe money, maybe, I don’t know,” she said.
She also referred to the ANC’s 55th National Conference in 2022, where Ramaphosa was re-elected party president and Mbalula was elected secretary-general.
“Mbalula was dishing the money in the clinic,” she said. She maintained that the distribution of money was done openly.
Mbalula has rejected the allegations, saying he did not distribute money to delegates to influence his election or the election of other ANC leaders.
He stated that his legal team has written to Dlamini-Zuma demanding a retraction or proof or face court action.
According to Mbalula the allegations have damaged his reputation and could only be resolved through legal action if Dlamini-Zuma could not substantiate them.
“No individual has the right to tarnish anybody’s name. If she feels deeply and is convinced about it, then let’s meet in court. She must produce evidence that I dished out money.”
Mbalula also indicated that the ANC would deal with the matter internally.
“Dlamini-Zuma is a member of the NEC. You wouldn’t expect such erratic actions from her. You would expect that a person of her standing would have raised the matter formally within organisation and allowed the Integrity Commission to deal with it,” he said.
Mbalula added that no political solution exists and cites Derek Hanekom’s lawsuit against Jacob Zuma over “sellout” allegations.
Hanekom sued Zuma for R500,000 in defamation after Zuma tweeted in July 2019 that Hanekom was a “known enemy agent” and a “sellout.” The courts ruled in Hanekom’s favor, ordering Zuma to unconditionally apologize on Twitter and retract the malicious statement.
Phala Phala Matter
Mbalula says the party will be writing to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to raise concerns about the nomination of Adv. Griffiths Madonsela SC as evidence leader for the Section 89 Impeachment Committee.
Madonsela has been recommended to be the evidence leader in the inquiry that’s expected to look into Ramaphosa’s conduct following the 2020 theft of foreign currency at his Phala Phala farm.
The ANC said that it would be unethical for Madonsela to take the role given that he previously provided legal advice to the ANC on the matter.
“The ANC was being advised on the Section 89 committee by Advocate Madonsela and there was no way that we would have agreed that he must lead the processes of becoming the evidence leader. It would mean that the ANC is undermining the law and does not respect the process of the section 89,” said Mbalula.
Mbalula added that Madonsela should not take the role.
Madonsela is a prominent senior counsel and former member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). His areas of practice have included commercial, administrative and constitutional law, commissions of inquiry, civil litigation, insurance, labour law, land restitution and criminal law.
Local Government Elections (LGE)
Mbalula says challenges facing South Africans, including spatial inequality, decaying infrastructure and the rising cost of living, must be taken seriously as the party finalises its 2026 Local Government Elections manifesto.
He says delays in announcing mayoral candidates are due to strict vetting processes.
The party will announce its mayoral candidates during the week leading up to the election manifesto launch, said Mbalula.
Mbalula added that the manifesto has been “written by the people” following consultations across the country and is now in its final policy stages at Luthuli House.
The party will unveil its manifesto on August 23 in Diepsloot, North of Johannesburg, when it will present to the electorate its bouquet of promises before the November 4 elections.