The African National Congress (ANC) is embroiled in yet another financial controversy, this time facing legal action from a Gauteng-based printing company, Shereno Printers, over an unpaid debt exceeding R4 million.
The debt relates to printing services rendered during the party's campaign for the May general election. This latest legal challenge adds to a growing list of financial difficulties plaguing the ruling party, raising concerns about its financial management and accountability.
Shereno Printers lodged an action at the Johannesburg High Court on 27 September, seeking to recover R4 485 000 in outstanding invoices. According to the summons, seen by City Press, the printing services covered a wide range of campaign materials distributed across all nine provinces.
The brief summons states: "Payments of all sums being in respect to the services rendered by Shereno Printers at the ANC’s special instance and request which the amount is due and the ANC has failed or neglected to pay."
A source within Shereno Printers detailed the company's attempts to secure payment, revealing that invoices have been sent to the ANC since July, all of which have allegedly been ignored.
"The company met with various election campaign leaders across all provinces and we agreed on a sum that the party would pay after the election, but currently, it has become difficult for them to answer their emails or return calls,” the source explained.
The source indicated that a writ of execution to seize assets at Luthuli House, the ANC's headquarters in Johannesburg, might be the only way to compel payment.
"The matter will be enrolled on the unopposed court roll unless they can file answering papers, which I think it’s improbable considering that they have gone awol," the source added.
This is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, ActionSA called for an investigation into the ANC's settlement of a R102 million debt with Ezulweni Investments, further highlighting the party's ongoing financial struggles.
In April, City Press reported on another legal battle involving Johannesburg-based law firm Lawtons Africa, which is pursuing the ANC for unpaid legal fees dating back over a decade. The bill, originally for services rendered in 2014, has now swelled to more than R300 000.
Lawtons Africa's particulars of claim, filed in the Johannesburg High Court, state that their repeated requests for payment have been ignored, leaving them with no option but to seek legal recourse. The service agreement, they state, was signed by Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe, who was the ANC secretary-general at the time. Lawtons Africa's final letter of demand was sent in June 2021, following their representation of the ANC in legal action brought by Johannesburg city councillors.
The accumulating legal challenges facing the ANC raise serious questions about its financial practices and its ability to manage its resources effectively. The party's apparent failure to respond to multiple creditors, including both large and small businesses, suggests a systemic problem that requires immediate attention.
