ANC Faces Fresh Financial Crisis as Sheriff Attaches Assets and Bank Accounts Over Ezulweni Debt
Johannesburg – In a dramatic escalation of a long-running legal battle, the sheriff of the High Court has moved to attach movable assets at the African National Congress (ANC) headquarters and freeze the party’s bank accounts. This action stems from an unpaid debt to Ezulweni Investments, a KwaZulu-Natal-based printing and marketing company, which provided campaign materials for the ANC’s 2019 national elections. The debt, originally pegged at R102 million, has ballooned to over R150 million with accumulated interest, placing immense pressure on the ruling party’s finances.
The writ of execution, issued by the Gauteng Local Division of the High Court in Johannesburg, directs the sheriff to seize goods at Chief Albert Luthuli House on 54 Sauer Street. Documents reveal that the attachment includes office furniture and equipment valued at approximately R1.14 million, such as desks, chairs, couches, fridges, microwaves, filing cabinets, computers, and coffee tables. Additionally, First National Bank (FNB) has been instructed to disclose and potentially release any available funds in the ANC’s accounts to settle the outstanding amount.
This latest development, dated 3 October 2025, comes after the ANC allegedly failed to honour a previous out-of-court settlement, reigniting fears of liquidation for the historic liberation movement.
The Roots of the Dispute: A 2019 Election Campaign Gone Sour
The saga began in 2019 when Ezulweni Investments supplied banners, posters, and other promotional items for the ANC’s election drive. The company claims the party entered into a binding agreement, but the ANC disputed this, arguing that staff members involved acted without proper authorisation. Court records show that the initial amount owed was R102 million, but interest at a rate of about R900,000 per month has pushed the total closer to R150 million by mid-2025.
Multiple court rulings have gone against the ANC. In 2020 and 2022, the Gauteng High Court sided with Ezulweni, confirming the validity of the contract. The party appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), but the bid was dismissed in November 2023, with judges ruling that the ANC had ostensible authority in the deal. A further appeal to the Constitutional Court was rejected in September 2024, exhausting the ANC’s legal options and paving the way for enforcement actions.
Despite these setbacks, the ANC reached an out-of-court settlement with Ezulweni in December 2023, agreeing to quarterly payments to clear the debt. However, by August 2025, Ezulweni accused the party of breaching the agreement by missing payments and failing to attend scheduled meetings.
Correspondence from Ezulweni’s representatives demanded immediate proof of payment, warning of renewed court action if ignored.
Sheriff’s Raid: What Was Seized and Why It Matters
On 2 and 3 October 2025, the sheriff executed the writ at Luthuli House. The inventory, compiled in Afrikaans and English, lists items like 100 desks (valued at R43,000), 200 chairs (R162,000), nine couches and lounge chairs (R120,000), nine fridges (R41,000), four microwaves (R5,000), 50 filing cabinets (R15,000), 20 computers (R30,000), and nine coffee tables (R10,000). The total estimated value falls far short of the debt, highlighting the symbolic nature of the attachment – a step towards auctioning the goods to recover at least part of the sum.
A separate notice was served on FNB, requiring the bank to notify the sheriff within five days about the ANC’s account balances and whether funds are available. Past attachments in 2023 revealed shockingly low balances – less than R100,000 across multiple accounts – suggesting the party’s financial woes run deep. If funds are present, they could be transferred directly to Ezulweni, but experts note that political parties often rely on donations and allocations from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which may complicate full recovery.
The return of service confirms that the ANC was unable to pay the judgment debt on demand, leading to the attachment. Costs for the sheriff’s execution, including fees of around R680, add to the mounting bill.
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