ANC NEC member Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has withdrawn remarks she made against Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, while ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has taken her to the Johannesburg High Court over separate allegations she made about him.
Dlamini-Zuma made the claims during an appearance on the African Renaissance Podcast, hosted by former EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi that Lamola and Mbalula were involved in vote-buying during the ANC’s 2017 and 2022 national conferences.
She also claimed that an audio recording circulating online implicated Lamola in the alleged transactions.
Dlamini-Zuma has since conceded that the voice on the recording was not Lamola’s and withdrew her attribution.
In a statement posted on social media on Tuesday afternoon, she said Lamola had informed her that he was not the person speaking in the recording.
“During my participation in the African Renaissance Podcast, I attributed a voice note to Comrade Ronald Lamola. Comrade Lamola has since advised me that the voice was not his. I withdraw the attribution on the basis of his clarification,” Dlamini-Zuma said.
Despite retracting the claim against Lamola, she stood by her broader concerns about the role of money in ANC leadership contests.
“The broader concern I raised regarding the influence of money in leadership contests remains an important matter that must be addressed for the renewal and integrity of the African National Congress,” she said.
Her statement did not contain a similar retraction of the allegations she made against Mbalula.
Mbalula has separately approached the Johannesburg High Court over Dlamini-Zuma’s remarks, setting the stage for a legal battle over the allegations made against him.
The court action follows Dlamini-Zuma’s claims linking Mbalula to alleged vote-buying during the ANC’s previous leadership contests.
Her decision to retract the allegation against Lamola comes as the legal dispute involving Mbalula moves before the high court.