Denials flow as ANC ducks R100m election posters bill

The ANC is digging in its heels, refusing to pay a R100m bill a service provider is claiming from it for election posters after an internal probe found the deal had been entered into fraudulently.

This is despite the KwaZulu-Natal-based company, Ezulweni Investments, hauling the party before the Gauteng South High Court this week seeking an order compelling the ANC to pay it R102m for printing 30,000 election posters as part of the ANC's campaign during this year's elections.

Paul Mashatile, the ANC treasurer-general, this week said they were ready to defend the matter in court as they had never ordered the posters.

Mashatile also said those who allegedly approved the procurement were now pleading ignorance about the matter. "The people came to us saying they did posters for us for R100m and I am not aware of it. Fikile Mbalula, who was the head of elections, was not aware of it.

"We wanted to know who ordered the posters. They pointed to someone in the office of Mbalula who was expelled. But that person also denies that they told them to proceed. But the bottom line is, at Luthuli House nothing can be procured until the T-G [treasurer-general] has approved, and I never approved that thing.

"So they have gone to court, which is fine, but we will never pay for things we did not order. The ANC is not at fault," said Mashatile.

Ezulweni Investments CEO Renash Ramdas said this week in his affidavit that his company had printed more than 30,000 posters and banners that were hung on street poles across all provinces except for the Western Cape.

Ramdas also stated that the ANC was billed R2,900 for each poster and R70 more for installation and removal, bringing the total to R89m before the inclusion of VAT of R13m.

He cited Luthuli House finance manager Nhlanhla Mabaso and Mbalula's former personal assistant, Lebohang Nkholise, as the ANC officials who had ordered the posters from him.

Nkholise was fired from Luthuli House last month after he had been suspended in September on allegations of forging Mbalula's signature.

In his responding affidavit, Mabaso said the deal was not valid as it did not carry Mashatile's signature.

"Here, there was no approval by the treasurer-general, no purchase order and no contract for the supply of election materials as alleged."