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ANC and Ezulweni Investments start ‘urgent, without prejudice’ negotiations over R102m dispute
Ezulwini Investments has entered into settlement negotiations with the ANC to resolve the R102 million dispute.
Headquarters of the ANC, Luthuli House in the Johannesburg CBD, 4 December 2023. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen
Ezulweni Investments’ lawyers have confirmed that the company has started “urgent, without prejudice” settlement negotiations with the ANC regarding the R102 million that is owed to them.
Last week, the Sheriff of the Gauteng High Court, who was instructed to begin seizing ANC assets, was prevented from entering Luthuli House.
The ruling party, however, received a breather after filing papers at the Constitution Court to challenge the Supreme Court of Appeal’s (SCA) ruling that it must pay the R102 million it owed Ezulweni Investments.
The ANC also claimed that it had the money to pay off the R102 million and was not at risk of liquidation, despite reports to the contrary.
‘Urgent, without prejudice’ settlement negotiations
In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, Ezulweni Investments lawyer Shafique Sarlie confirmed that the two parties had started “urgent, without prejudice” settlement negotiations at the highest level.
“Which they hope will bear fruit and be finalised as soon as possible, regard being to the constraints imposed by the imminent annual shut-down of our law firm and the ANC’s attorneys of record and the festive holidays that are upon us,” Sarlie said.
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The lawyer added that it was also resolved that neither party will debate the matter in the media or in public, including in social media forums, until the conclusion of the negotiations.
Sarlie said the ANC and Ezulweni Investments believed that this is in the best interest of the parties and in order that the “important and final settlement negotiations enjoy the best possible prospects of success.”
‘ANC had no contract for posters’ – Mbalula
Last week, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula insisted the money owed to the company, allegedly for election posters, was a fraudulent claim and a heist against the ruling party.
He said that despite three court rulings that the ANC had to pay the money for the services rendered during the 2019 elections, the party never entered into a contract with Ezulweni.
“They will argue till they turn blue; they will give you faceless reports. I am telling you now, on behalf of the ANC, we never entered into any contract with Ezulweni,” he said.
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