ANC still confident in Mbalula as head of election despite Mkhwebane’s finding

With the 2019 general elections around the corner, the governing African National Congress (ANC) said it still believed and had confidence in its head of election Fikile Mbalula despite the public protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s finding that he was dishonest about who was responsible for paying for his R680,000 Dubai trip two years ago.

Following investigations into his family holiday with his wife and three children, Mkhwebane found that roughly half of the trip was paid for by Sedgars Sport, a supplier of sportswear for the country’s athletics, boxing, and beach volleyball teams.

As then minister of sports and recreation, Mbalula took his family to Dubai between December 28, 2016, and January 3, 2017.

At the time when the story broke in the media, Mbalula denied the trip had been paid for by Sedgars Sport.

EWN reports the ANC’s acting spokesperson Dakota Legwete said the governing party still believed in and had confidence in Mbalula’s version.

Legwete was quoted as saying the party still engaged with Mbalula “going forward” and had confidence in him as its head of elections.

However, Legwete would not comment on whether the party’s head of elections would face a disciplinary hearing or an integrity committee, stating “there’s no decision at this stage”.

“What we’d advise is that [it be] known that comrade Mbalula reserves his right, both [as] a private citizen and as a South African, to take this finding on review,” Legwete was quoted as saying.

He added the party was still “in contact” with Mbalula, the former minister was “consulting legally”, “and once he’s done he will pronounce himself what sort of action to do going forward”.

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