ANC agrees to pay its internet host
• Dispute looms over exact amount owed to company that suspended site after claiming party is R32.5m in arrears
The ANC has agreed to pay the money it owes to a company which shut down its website two weeks ago after initially denying it had a contract with the company.
The ANC has agreed to pay the money it owes to a company that shut down its website about two weeks ago, after initially denying the party had a contract with the firm.
Unwembi Communications claims the ANC owes it R32.5m. The party has an umbrella project organisation agreement with Unwembi, which includes the ANC membership system agreement and the development, hosting and support of the party’s websites.
In late September, Unwembi was advised by its attorneys to withhold services until the money had been paid.
The ANC website has been down for almost two weeks. The site currently has a notice saying: “This website is suspended due to non-payment to the service provider.”
In a letter to Unwembi’s attorney Gert van der Merwe, seen by Business Day, law firm Hogan Lovells for the ANC said the message left on the website was causing the party “unnecessary administrative hurdles” but also that the “damaging and defamatory message” was causing the ANC “unimaginable reputation harm”.
The letter, however, made it clear that the law firm was still doing internal checks to make sure it was not conflicted in representing the ANC.
Hogan Lovells said Unwembi’s actions made any engagement process to find an amicable resolution untenable.
“Our client would in any event still be willing to engage with your client over what it believes it owes your client, of course, with a view to find each other and an amicable resolution to this matter,” Hogan Lovells’ partner SJ Thema said in the letter.
He said the ANC would “proceed to make arrangements to pay” Unwembi, but only the amounts that the party was liable for under the agreement with the company.
The ANC has asked for copies of all invoices.
It also wants the domain name and website restored and for the message on the website to be removed.
In September, when Business Day contacted the ANC for comment on the money owed to Unwembi, spokesperson Pule Mabe said the website was down because it was being revamped and a new service provider had been appointed.
He said the website’s freeze had nothing to do with the ANC owing anyone money.
Mabe at the time said the ANC did not have a contract with Unwembi.
On Monday, the ANC launched what it called a “revamped” website, but under a different domain name.
At the launch of the new website, the party said it was investigating the possibility of opening an extortion case against Unwembi.
The party’s lawyers had also written to SA Domain demanding the return of its domain‚ which it deemed to be the property of the ANC.
Van der Merwe for Unwembi confirmed on Monday that he had received the letter from Hogan Lovells.
“I think the letter is designed to justify the so-called new website and I will respond to it properly [to the ANC’s lawyers] within the course of the day,” the lawyer said.