News24 | Legal battle looms as Dlamini-Zuma refuses to retract Mbalula ANC conference bribery claims

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma filed a notice to oppose Fikile Mbalula’s defamation lawsuit over her claims of money misuse at the ANC’s 2022 conference.

Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

• Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma filed a notice to oppose Fikile Mbalula’s defamation lawsuit over her claims of money misuse at the ANC’s 2022 conference.
• Dlamini-Zuma stands by her allegations, citing the influence of money in ANC leadership contests as a threat to the party’s integrity.
• She emphasised her commitment to ANC renewal and stated that the issue of money misuse must be addressed within the party, not just in court.
• For more political news, visit News24 Politics.

ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma says she stands by her utterances regarding the improper use of money at the 2022 ANC elective conference.

Dlamini-Zuma revealed in a statement that she had filed a notice of intention to oppose ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula’s lawsuit against her over the comments she made on a podcast.

Speaking with host Mbuyiseni Ndlozi on the African Renaissance podcast recently, Dlamini-Zuma alleged that money played an improper role in ANC leadership contests, specifically accusing Mbalula of openly “dishing out money” at a clinic during the party’s 55th national conference at Nasrec in December 2022 to secure his election and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s re-election.

Mbalula strongly denied the allegations, calling them damaging and false. He subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against Dlamini-Zuma in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg after she failed to retract the claims.

READ | Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma apologises to Lamola for accusing him of vote buying

On the same podcast, Dlamini-Zuma made damning allegations about ANC NEC member Ronald Lamola, who is the minister of international relations, but retracted the statement on Wednesday.

I welcome Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s withdrawal of her attributing a voice note to me in relation to the ANC’s internal electoral processes.

Her statement vindicates what I have maintained from the outset: the voice note is not mine, and I was not involved in the conduct… https://t.co/pypDi8XvdX

— Ronald Lamola (@RonaldLamola) August 26, 2026

She, however, did not apologise or retract her statements regarding Mbalula.

On Thursday, Dlamini-Zuma said she stood by her comments.

“The influence of money in ANC elective conferences is common cause and has been spoken about openly by senior leaders and structures of the movement,” Dlamini-Zuma said.

She said that when money becomes more powerful than political conviction, when delegates can be influenced by financial considerations rather than the movement’s political programme, and when leadership contests become commercialised, the very character of the ANC is placed at risk.

Dlamini-Zuma said:

I will continue to raise my conviction sharply that the ANC must deal with the use of money in the movement.

She said this week her legal team had filed a notice of intention to oppose.

“I stand by my statements and the substance of the argument raised. Out of respect for the court, I will not argue the merits of the case through public statements as the matter will now be fully ventilated in court,” she said.

She said she was committed to the ANC’s renewal project.

“I have devoted my life to the struggle and the African National Congress and remain committed to its unity and renewal. It is precisely because of this commitment that I believe we must speak honestly about the challenges facing our movement,” the former minister said.

She further stated that the case against her would now proceed before the court.

“However, the political and organisational question at the heart of this matter remains before the ANC and cannot be resolved through litigation. Our movement must find the courage to confront this problem as it is killing the ANC,” Dlamini-Zuma said.