ANC Staff Block Sheriff Entry in Headquarters Confrontation in South Africa
Security guards barricaded ANC headquarters in the Johannesburg CBD to block the sheriff of the court from entering and seizing assets.
It’s the latest in a series of embarrassing lawsuits against the ANC and its leagues that often contract private companies and fail to pay.
In this chapter, Ezulweni Investments, a company that produced thousands of posters and other election campaign material, is trying to recover some R102,465,000 from the ruling party.
The cost of the ANC’s nationwide campaigns has been ballooning over the years with an estimated R425 million in 2014 and over R1 billion in 2016, according to first deputy president Nomvula Mokonyane.
The sources of funding have also been controversial.
The state capture commission heard that the now defunct Bosasa funded ANC campaigns in the past.
The late Sandile Majali of Imvume Holdings was also fingered as one of the party’s sugar daddies, going back to 2004.
In that ugly affair, petroleum company Imvume Holdings was accused of moving R11 million of state money to fund the ANC in what became known as the Oilgate scandal.
On Monday, the sheriff of the court was acting on behalf of printing and marketing company Ezulweni Investments, which has won a court order to seize assets at the party’s Luthuli House.
The ANC has been avoiding paying the company and has lost court bids in the Gauteng High Court and Supreme Court of Appeals.
The sheriff has given the party until Wednesday to present proof that it was getting into some form of financial repayment agreement with Ezulweni Investments.
Meanwhile, a full list of assets that the sheriff intends to seize from the ANC has got South Africans on social media excited about the pending auction.
The low quality and value of some of the assets to be seized has once again highlighted the cash flow problems that have dogged the ANC for years.
Office equipment including chairs, boardroom tables, fridges, couches, microwaves and even the watercooler are all set to go under the hammer for a song.
A Ford Ranger bakkie is expected to fetch R100,000.
Paintings of struggle heroes and other decorations have also been included as the sheriff intends to seize assets from the first floor up.
The building itself is safe as it does not belong to the ANC.
