ANC Women’s League faces raid by sheriff as it owes R6.3m from 2017

Our courteous requests for payment before and subsequently have been ignored

COMPUTERS, telephones, desks and chairs were among goods set to be auctioned off by the sheriff at Luthuli House this morning to recover more than R6.3 million owed by the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) to a Joburg company.

The ANC was facing embarrassment after the sheriff ’s office yesterday confirmed that it would be proceeding with the sale of hundreds of movable goods at the party’s headquarters to recover more than R6.3m owed by the ANCWL to Sandton-based Atlantis Corporate Travel.

Sheriff for Johannesburg Central Marks Mangaba told Independent Media yesterday that the sale was proceeding as scheduled today – a day after the ANC turned 106.

Mangaba, however, declined to comment further, explaining that he wasn’t authorised to talk to the media.

According to the notice of the auction, 250 desks, 600 chairs, 10 fridges and microwaves, five lounge suites, 150 filing cabinets and 250 phones were expected to be sold this morning in a public auction.

However, the proceeds from the public sale of the items are unlikely to cover the company’s debt as it is estimated that only between R250 000 and R500 000 will be raised.

Former ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize’s financial report to last month’s national elective conference confirmed that the ANC was indebted to Atlantis Corporate Travel.

According to the report, which Independent Media has seen, the ANCWL was advised to enter into a payment agreement with the company, but the party puts the amount of its indebtedness at R5.2m.

Atlantis Corporate Travel said it was forced to approach the sheriff for Johannesburg Central to attach goods at the governing party’s headquarters.

The company made travel arrangements for ANCWL leaders, members and officials but the league stopped paying, forcing it to approach the high court in Joburg, which ordered the ANC to pay R6.3m, including 13% interest, last July.

Atlantis Corporate Travel’s legal department said: “The ANC has shown complete disregard for an order of court and we will not stop until they have paid the sum lawfully due and owing to us.”

The company said that despite having been granted an indulgence at every step in the process, it was forced to obtain judgment against the ANC on July 13.

“Our courteous requests for payment before and subsequently have been ignored and their actions dilatory,” said Atlantis Corporate Travel.

According to Mkhize’s report, the ANC is also facing lawsuits by Protea Coin Security, which is demanding R1.5m for security services it rendered, but the party is opposing the matter.

The ANC has paid more than R68m settling lawsuits in the period between 2013 and last year, including about R12.5m for the ANC Youth League’s national conferences in 2008 and 2011.

In the same period, three liquidation applications were lodged against the ANC by the University of Limpopo, VWV Group and Indigo Logistics, while similar court bids were brought against the ANCYL by Z2 Presentations; Atterbell Investments, trading as Gallagher Estate; and Taj Printers.

The ANC also settled R21.2m for the 2011 local government elections and another amount of nearly R13m for its centenary celebrations production.

“In most cases, the creditors demanded settlement agreements which the court then made orders of the court,” according to Mkhize’s report.

It also paid R750 000 by agreement to settle all cases relating to disgraced late businessman Roger Kebble.

ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the ANCWL was an autonomous structure running its own programmes.

He told Independent Media to speak to the ANCWL directly. Yesterday, ANCWL spokespersons Thoko Xasa and Fundi Skweyiya did not respond to requests for comment.

Last month, Xasa’s chief of staff in the Tourism Ministry, Sango Velleman, promised to bring Independent Media’s enquiry to her attention, but no response has been forthcoming.

Unisa Emeritus Professor Shadrack Gutto said the key question was whether the ANCWL was registered as a separate legal entity or as an ANC structure.

He said the ANC was responsible, assuming that its leagues were not registered separately.