By: Saneliso Mlambo
Former Cabinet minister and ANC veteran Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has claimed that money now plays a major role in deciding who leads the African National Congress (ANC). Speaking on Mbuyiseni Ndlozi’s podcast on 3 August 2026, Dlamini-Zuma said financial influence had become increasingly central to the party’s elective conferences.
The former ANC presidential candidate made the remarks while reflecting on the party’s 2017 and 2022 national elective conferences. Dlamini-Zuma, who contested the ANC presidency against Cyril Ramaphosa in 2017, said money had become a significant factor in determining leadership outcomes within the governing party.
“There is a big problem of money,” Dlamini-Zuma said during the interview. “Money has played a big role in the ANC in choosing leadership.”
She argued that concerns over the influence of money did not end with the 2017 conference. According to Dlamini-Zuma, the issue remained evident during the ANC’s 2022 elective conference, where she claimed financial influence was openly discussed and widely reported at the time.
During the interview, Ndlozi asked whether the ANC’s rules permit the use of money to influence leadership elections. Dlamini-Zuma replied that, to her understanding, such conduct is prohibited under the party’s rules, but maintained that money has nevertheless become a major feature of ANC leadership contests.
Her comments are likely to fuel renewed debate over the integrity of the ANC’s internal electoral processes. Allegations about the role of money and campaign funding have surfaced around previous ANC leadership races, although the governing party has consistently maintained that its conferences are governed by its constitution and internal rules.
Dlamini-Zuma did not present new evidence to support her claims during the interview. However, her remarks carry significance because they come from a senior ANC leader who has served in several Cabinet portfolios and was the party’s presidential candidate in one of its most closely contested leadership elections.
With the ANC continuing its organisational renewal efforts, Dlamini-Zuma’s comments are expected to add to ongoing discussions about transparency, internal democracy and the influence of money in determining the party’s future leadership.