ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, along with North West provincial secretary Louis Diremelo and regional coordinator Walter Mabogola, face an urgent application in the Johannesburg High Court seeking their “committal to imprisonment for a period of no less than 60 days” for allegedly defying an interim court order that halted a regional conference.
Mbalula has now issued a letter from his own office declaring the conference at the centre of the contempt proceedings to be “irregular and unsanctioned”, stating that his office did not authorise the proceedings.
The disputed conference allegedly took place at a lodge in the Christiana area of the Lekwa Teemane municipality, which falls under the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality in North West. Delegates had reportedly been on site since the previous Sunday, enduring delays and legal wrangling over branch credentials, including an earlier court order that several excluded branches should be allowed to participate.
On Thursday morning, acting Judge Jacques Minnaar granted a further interim interdict restraining the ANC – including Mbalula’s office, the provincial secretary, and the regional task team coordinator – from “commencing or continuing with the 10th regional conference” pending a final hearing set for May 8.
The court further ordered the establishment of a conference dispute resolution committee.
Later that same day, at 15:32, a notice was issued over Mabogola’s signature instructing delegates to assemble for the official opening at 16:00. The conference allegedly proceeded as planned.
The letter, dated May 1, from Mbalula’s office states, “The notice of 15:32 on 30 April 2026 and the commencement of the 10th regional conference at 16:00 on the same date were not authorised by the office of the secretary-general.”
The letter records the proceedings as “irregular and unsanctioned” and suspends any nominations, elections or leadership declarations flowing from them, declaring they “shall be of no force or effect within the structures of the African National Congress” pending the court’s Part B hearing, any appeal, and the dispute resolution committee.
The document further states: ‘The discipline of the movement requires that, even where decisions of the courts are perceived to be in error, the proper response is to invoke the appellate procedures… not to disregard the court’s authority.
The applicants, Kenewang Seleseng and Kitso Kala, state in their founding affidavit that the respondents – including Mbalula – “do not intend to comply with the interim order”.
They note that “the respondents’ counsel and attorneys were present in court” when the order was granted and that “even prior to their issue of the purported application for leave to appeal, they issued notification that the conference was proceeding”.
The affidavit further records that the conference proceeded regardless and that the applicants seek an order that the second to fourth respondents (Diremelo, Mabogola, and Mbalula) “are committed to imprisonment… for a period of no less than 60 days”.
The court will hear Part B of the underlying dispute this coming Friday. The contempt application is set to be considered in the same proceedings.
The letter concludes, “The office of the secretary-general defends the African National Congress from within and from without – including, where so required, by speaking the truth to its own structures.”
Mbalula demanded that Diremelo, Mabogola, and each of the other respondents furnish his office with a sworn written explanation by no later than 17:00 on Saturday, May 2, addressing the constitutional and statutory authority on which the 15:32 notice was issued and the chain of communication between them and his office on the day of the court order.
The letter also reserved the right to refer the conduct of any office-bearer arising from the events of Thursday evening to the national disciplinary committee.
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- ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, North West provincial secretary Louis Diremelo, and regional coordinator Walter Mabogola face a court application seeking imprisonment for allegedly defying a court order that halted a regional conference.
- Mbalula issued a letter from his office declaring the disputed conference “irregular and unsanctioned,” stating it was not authorized by his office.
- Despite a court interdict at 15:32 on April 30 ordering the conference to be stopped, a notice signed by Mabogola instructed delegates to proceed with the event, which went ahead as planned.
- The court ordered a conference dispute resolution committee and set a final hearing for May 8; the contempt application regarding the defiance of the court order is to be considered then.
- Mbalula demanded explanations from Diremelo, Mabogola, and others involved and reserved the right to refer their conduct to the national disciplinary committee.
