ANC veteran and NEC member Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has apologised to her colleague, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola, for linking him to a controversial voice recording suggesting foul play at the infamous ANC 2017 national congress.
But contrary to expectations, Dlamini-Zuma did not extend the same apology to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, whom she had accused of buying votes at the ANC 2022 national congress.
Dlamini-Zuma had made the allegations against Mbalula in the same breath as those against Lamola.
Court showdown looms
Sunday World can reveal that Dlamini-Zuma is gearing up to battle it out with Mbalula in the Johannesburg High Court, where the latter has filed a defamation lawsuit.
“She is not going to apologise to Mbalula. It is not going to happen,” said a Dlamini-Zuma associate.
“She is going to file opposing papers to the Mbalula lawsuit, and the deadline is next Friday for her to file, which she fully intends to comply with ahead of the oral hearings on September 25.”
The insider could not say what Dlamini-Zuma will rely on to dispute Mbalula’s claim that accusing him of buying votes is defamation.
READ: Snuki Zikalala questions Dlamini-Zuma’s intentions with vote-buying claims
But they were adamant that the politically decorated Dlamini-Zuma does not enter lawsuits she won’t win:
“Ask Johann Rupert and those that had interests in the cigarette industry what she did to them when she was minister of health. the old woman does not play, especially in the courts, so all I can say is good luck to Mbalula,”
Mbalula last week filed at the Johannesburg High Court, alleging that Dlamini-Zuma’s remarks amount to defamation of his good name.
According to Mbalula, the court must find against Dlamini-Zuma, who is held in high social esteem, and thus things she says are likely to be believed.
Mbalula denies vote-buying claims
The Luthuli House boss told the court that he denies “dishing out” money to sway delegates at the Nasrec 2 conference in December 2022.
In any event, he wrote in his founding affidavit, if Dlamini-Zuma had witnessed him buying votes, she would have had an obligation to report this to the ANC national officials and the national executive committee and mount a judicial review challenging his election to the powerful position.
She had not done any of that four years later, which, in Mbalula’s view, proves that her claims hold little water.
READ; Dlamini-Zuma alleges Mbalula bought votes at ANC conference
Mbalula insists that if Dlamini-Zuma claims to have witnessed vote-buying, which constitutes corruption, she also had an obligation to approach the nearest police station, which she has not done.
“I submit with respect that the remarks made by [Dlmaini-Zuma] are spurious and defamatory, made with the sole intention of causing damage to my reputation and dignity. They are malicious and reckless, as they seem to suggest that I was directly or indirectly involved in criminality(bribery),” Mbalula wrote in his founding affidavit.
Mbalula demands proof
“I am advised and submit that the remarks made by the respondent do not pass muster for a valid defence against defamation as they are untrue, do not constitute reasonable publication, did not emanate as a result of fair comment, and are not in the public interest. The Respondent is invited to prove that I actually gave money to delegates to influence the outcome of the 2022 ANC Conference.
“I submit that the respondent had the duty to report what she allegedly witnessed to the law enforcement agencies of the state, including reporting the alleged half a billion that she claims was allegedly found in ‘someone’s room’,” he goes on.
“At the time she allegedly witnessed what she alleges about me, [Dlamini-Zuma] had SAPS protectors who were with her at that time. There was SAPS presence at that conference and the minister of police, who at the time was Mr Bheki Cele. The respondent had the duty to report me to the South African Revenue Services. In respect of an alleged half a billion that was found in ‘someone’s room’, the Respondent had the duty to report same to the Prudential Authority and law enforcement agencies so that immediate arrests could be effected.”
- ANC veteran and NEC member Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has apologised to her colleague, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola, for linking him to a controversial voice recording suggesting foul play at the infamous ANC 2017 national congress.
- But contrary to expectations, Dlamini-Zuma did not extend the same apology to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, whom she had accused of buying votes at the ANC 2022 national congress.
- Dlamini-Zuma had made the allegations against Mbalula in the same breath as those against Lamola.
- Court showdown looms Sunday World can reveal that Dlamini-Zuma is gearing up to battle it out with Mbalula in the Johannesburg High Court, where the latter has filed a defamation lawsuit.
- “She is not going to apologise to Mbalula.
