The matter was argued before the High Court on 15 September, with judgment initially reserved.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. Picture: Gallo Images/Lefty Shivambu
The defamation battle between ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and former Cabinet minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has taken a new turn after the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg ordered both political figures to give oral evidence.
Acting Judge Henno Viljoen ruled on Friday, 2 October 2026, that the conflicting versions presented by the parties could not be resolved on written submissions alone.
Mbalula, Dlamini-Zuma defamation dispute
Mbalula is suing Dlamini-Zuma after she accused him of “dishing out” cash to delegates in order to bag votes for his election as the ANC’s secretary-general at the party’s 2022 national elective conference, which was held at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.
The dispute escalated after Dlamini-Zuma declined to apologise for and retract the allegations she made during an African Renaissance Podcast interview with former EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi on 3 August 2026.
Mbalula wants damages over what he considers defamatory statements and an order compelling Dlamini-Zuma to pay his legal costs.
The matter was argued before the High Court on 15 September, with judgment initially reserved.
However, the court has since reopened the matter to allow for oral testimony.
This means both Mbalula and Dlamini-Zuma will need to testify in person and face cross-examination in an effort to resolve the factual dispute at the centre of the case.
The court’s order also paves the way for Themba Sibiya, an unemployed delegate who has previously filed an affidavit claiming that he benefited from the alleged vote-buying scheme, to give viva voce evidence.
In his ruling, Viljoen explained the court’s approach when litigants present conflicting factual versions.
“Where a real dispute of fact is found to exist, the court has a discretion as to the further conduct of the proceedings.
“It may dismiss the application with costs, order the parties to trial, or direct that oral evidence be heard on specified issues, its function being to select the most suitable method of employing viva voce evidence for the determination of the dispute,” the judgment reportedly reads.
Dlamini-Zuma reacts
Dlamini-Zuma has welcomed the court’s decision, arguing that oral evidence provides a “better” avenue for resolving the dispute.
“The secretary-general asked the court for an order compelling me to retract and to apologise for statements I made during an interview on the African Renaissance Podcast.
“The court has made no such order. It has directed instead that the central factual question be determined on oral evidence from us and witnesses.
“I remain committed to cooperating with the court’s processes,” the ANC national executive committee (NEC) member said in a statement on Monday, 5 October.
“Out of respect for the court, I will not argue this matter in the public domain any further,” Dlamini-Zuma added.
The former minister also reiterated her position on the broader issue of money and internal ANC elections.
“If the ANC is to renew itself, it must confront the use of money in its internal elective processes honestly.”
