Johannesburg – The African National Congress (ANC) is facing renewed scrutiny over its financial dealings, with the party's treasurer-general, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, admitting that only R100,000 of a purported R2 million donation from the now defunct VBS Mutual Bank has been found in their records.
This revelation follows sensational allegations made by Tshifhiwa Matodzi, the former chairperson of VBS, in a leaked witness statement to the National Prosecution Authority. In his affidavit, Matodzi claimed that the ANC's then treasurer-general, Dr Zweli Mkhize, had requested a donation from VBS, with R2 million allegedly being paid to the party through an intermediary named Joseph Nkadimeng, The Sunday World has reported.
"We have investigated internally through our accounts, and indeed, we are in the process of engaging the VBS administrator to look into how we can pay back that, which is a decision we have taken, and the amount that we could identify is R100 000 for one of the dinners," said Ramokgopa, speaking on the Sunday World Engage podcast.
The ANC's investigation, however, has failed to uncover any evidence of the remaining R1.9 million. This raises serious questions about the party's financial transparency and accountability, particularly in light of the allegations of corruption and mismanagement that have plagued VBS.
Dr Mkhize, in a statement issued years ago, denied any involvement in the alleged donation. He stated that he was once invited to VBS offices for a business introduction but had no further engagement with the bank.
"It can also be verified with the office of the ANC TG (treasurer general) if they ever participated in any of the ANC fundraising events. Those activities are formal and public. Such monies are properly recorded and disclosed to the ANC leadership. If any other funds were exchanged with VBS in the name of the ANC while I was still the TG of the organisation, I am quite keen for this to be disclosed in full so we can expose such scams publicly," Mkhize said in his statement.
Ramokgopa, however, has indicated that the ANC will leave it to law enforcement agencies to investigate the whereabouts of the missing R1.9 million.
"If there is anything else, we will also depend on the capacity of the state to prioritise issues and also do investigations. But certainly, we do not investigate ourselves; we present ourselves to the integrity commission, which guides us," she said.
The ANC's financial woes extend beyond the VBS donation controversy. The party has faced significant financial challenges, including unpaid invoices and a precarious financial position.
One of the most prominent cases involved Ezulweni Investments, an ANC service provider that was on the verge of liquidating the party due to unpaid invoices. However, the ANC managed to reach an out-of-court settlement with Ezulweni, agreeing to pay the outstanding amount in installments.
Ramokgopa, who took office in December 2022, has acknowledged the party's financial struggles and has implemented measures to stabilize the ANC's finances. She has emphasized the need for financial transparency and accountability, as well as the importance of exploring innovative ways to generate revenue.
