The ANC says it knows nothing about a group of ANC aligned businesspeople and loyalists who have allegedly approached Ezulweni Investments in a bid to settle the R102 million debt owed by the ruling party.
The owner of Ezulweni, Renash Ramdas and his lawyer, Sharfique Sarlie revealed that they were approached by a group of businesspeople aligned to the ANC who are prepared to buy the R102 million debt owed by the party.
In a statement, the company indicated that since the failed attempt to attach assets belonging to the ruling party, the ANC had not reached out to it on a way to finding an amicable resolution of the matter.
The party launched an application to the Constitutional Court to avoid the potential liquidation and seizure of its assets.
However, according to the printing company, on Wednesday, a group of ANC aligned business people came forward with a view to resolve the the stalemate.
The company claims in a statement that it had been requested by this group of ANC loyalists and business people not to proceed with the liquidation of the ruling party and the attachment of its assets which almost became a reality on Monday.
“They (ANC loyalists) have requested and beseeched Ezulweni not to commence liquidation proceedings against the ANC, fearing the further reputational damage will do to the ANC and the dire implications such proceedings will have for the ruling party, seeking a few more days to enable them to to engage within the present leadership of the ANC, with a view to resolving the matter rationally and in the best interests of the ruling party, and if such engagement and intervention failed, to take cessation of the claim and debt owed to Ezulweni,” the company said.
On Wednesday, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula accused Ezulweni of fraud saying the company colluded with two junior ANC officials to score a dubious and irregular contract that he and then ANC treasure, Paul Mashatile never signed off.
Mbalula said they were shocked to learn of Ezulweni’s legal action to claw back R102 million owed to it for services rendered to the party in 2019.
Mbalula, who was head of the ANC’s election campaign at the time of this contract said an internal forensic report previously dismissed by both the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal proves collusion.
“The report provides incontrovertible evidence of Ezulweni offering substantial bribes. These individuals in turn forged documents presented to Ezulweni, falsely indicating that the ANC had engaged in their services,” he said.
In what could be described as a back and forth and tit-for-tat week between the two parties, Ezulweni claimed that the ANC had not communicated any way forward until they were approached by this group of loyalists on Wednesday.
“Astonishingly, and quite bizarrely, by close of business on Wednesday, the 6th of December, 2023, no reply whatsoever had been received from the ANC’s attorneys...Significantly, Ezulweni must also disclose that a group of persons, who at this stage, will remain nameless, but who are concerned stalwarts and loyalists of the ANC, have reached out to Ezulweni and have expressed an urgent desire and intention to intervene, commenting that the manner in which the ANC SG, who has been delegated the task of dealing with this matter, is, as they have described, insane and irrational,” Sarlie said in a prepared statement.
“No, we know nothing about these ANC business people who have reached out to Ezulweni,” ANC spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said this week.
Saturday Star