The internal friction within South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has escalated into the judicial arena following a formal legal challenge initiated by the party’s Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, against veteran politician Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
The legal battle stems from remarks made by Dlamini Zuma during an interview on the African Renaissance Podcast, where she raised critical concerns regarding the internal electoral processes of the organization.
On August 21, 2026, Mbalula officially served Dlamini Zuma with court papers, prompting a swift legal response from her defense team, who filed a formal notice of intention to oppose the action on August 25, 2026.
In a public statement addressing the litigation, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has vowed to defend remarks challenged by ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.
Dlamini Zuma said she stands by her statements and their substance. She also said she would avoid arguing the case publicly out of respect.
“I will not argue the merits of the case through public statements,” she said. She added that the matter would now be “fully ventilated in court”.
Dlamini Zuma’s statement focused heavily on money within ANC electoral processes. She said the party must confront problems threatening its organisational renewal. “The influence of money in ANC elective conferences is common cause,” she said. She added that senior ANC leaders and structures had already discussed the issue.
Dlamini Zuma warned that money could undermine political conviction inside the movement. “When money becomes more powerful than political conviction,” she said, the ANC faces risks.
She also criticised situations where delegates become influenced by financial considerations. Leadership contests, she argued, should not become commercially driven battles.
“When leadership contests become commercialised, the very character of the ANC is placed at risk,” Dlamini Zuma said. She made clear that she would continue raising concerns about money. “I will continue to raise sharply my conviction that the ANC must deal with the use of money,” she said.
The ANC veteran also linked the dispute to the party’s wider renewal process. She said genuine renewal requires the movement to confront internal problems honestly.
Dlamini Zuma said her commitment to the ANC motivated her public criticism. “I believe we must speak honestly about the challenges facing our movement,” she said.
She said the court case would follow its legal course. However, she argued that litigation cannot resolve the ANC’s political problems.
“The political and organisational question at the heart of this matter remains before the ANC,” she said. She warned that the problem could not be resolved through litigation.
“Our movement must find the courage to confront this problem as it is killing the ANC,” Dlamini Zuma said.
As the legal system prepares to ventilate the merits of Mbalula’s application, the real trial will take place within the political corridors of the ANC, where the battle for the party’s ethical soul continues to rage unresolved.