AfriForum CEO, Kallie Kriel. Picture: @kalliekriel
Afrikaner foyer group AfriForum mentioned the unwillingness of the Nationwide Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to prosecute ANC secretary basic Fikile Mbalula for his R680 000 Dubai journey in 2016 was irrational and a political obstruction, damaging the nation’s status.
AfriForum printed a file on Wednesday accusing Mbalula of alleged cash laundering, fraud and corruption in addition to reckless statements insulting main buying and selling companions comparable to america.
“We all know what the implications could be of additional punitive measures by america in opposition to this nation,” mentioned Kallie Kriel, the chief govt of AfriForum. “We’ve tried to avert that by looking for options to this worldwide friction that we’re seeing.
“But when these efforts are being sabotaged as Mr Mbalula is doing, the nation will bear the brunt of his reckless behaviour.”
Afriforum argues that Mbalula needs to be held accountable domestically by the NPA and internationally by US sanctions. The foyer group mentioned it had made failed makes an attempt to talk to the ANC in regards to the financial prices to Mbalula’s ambitions for presidency.
“It looks as if Mr Mbalula is hell-bent for the good thing about his personal aspirations to develop into the chief of the ANC to hurt the nation. That’s the reason we’re taking this stance,” mentioned Kriel.
The file would help in arguing for personal prosecutions and for US lawmakers to sanction Mbalula beneath the Magnitsky Act, which permits particular person sanctions, he mentioned.
“In the mean time, AfriForum, beneath the Solidarity motion, is working very exhausting to try to resolve the battle with the US. That’s why we had been within the US to ask, ‘don’t punish South Africa if you’re offended with ANC politicians’,” Kriel mentioned.
On Tuesday, forward of AfriForum’s file briefing, Mbalula denied any wrongdoing and said that he wouldn’t be “intimidated” by a “political stunt”. He demanded AfriForum retract its allegations and he despatched a stop and desist letter to the foyer group.
“We place on document that our consumer has not been charged or prosecuted in relation to the unfounded allegations set out and vehemently denies the entire baseless allegations on this regard,” mentioned Mbalula’s counsel.
Talking at Wednesday’s briefing, Ernst van Zyl, AfriForum’s head of public relations, mentioned Mbalula was notorious for a path of corruption allegations, poor service supply, sabotage of diplomatic relations with the US and racist hatred for white South Africans.
He mentioned Mbalula’s document included the most important spike in murders, gender-based violence circumstances and cash-in-transit heists whereas he was minister of police from 2017 to 2018.
Mbalula oversaw the collapse of rail infrastructure with a decline of passenger journeys from 209 million to 39 million whereas he was minister of transport from 2019 to 2023, Van Zyl mentioned.
“And now beneath his watch as ANC secretary basic it additionally seems this reverse Midas contact has adopted him. It’s reported the ANC is now ranked because the sixteenth most corrupt organisation on the earth. This occurred beneath his watch,” mentioned van Zyl.
He accused Mbalula of coverage extremism in calling for expropriation with out compensation, the nationalisation of the Reserve Financial institution and for praising Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF land coverage.
“Mbalula has expressed his and the ANC’s help a number of occasions for regimes with horrific human rights information comparable to those in North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba and Iran,” Van Zyl mentioned.
He criticised Mbalula’s assembly with leaders of Hamas and his help for former Worldwide Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor in her genocide case in opposition to Israel on the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice.
“In March 2026 Mbalula accused, with out proof, the brand new US ambassador Brent Bozell of attending a gathering with the ANC whereas drunk. No proof supplied, only a slanderous lie.”
Gerrie Nel, AfriForum’s head of personal prosecutions, mentioned it has been looking for to carry Mbalula accountable for his 2016 Dubai vacation, which value R680 000 since January 2022.
The journey, he mentioned, was allegedly paid for by Sedgars’ sport director Yusuf Dockrat, a provider to the South African Sports activities Confederation and Olympics committee.
“We’re saying to the NPA, as a result of now we’ve the case docket, your determination to not prosecute is irrational and isn’t when it comes to the regulation. It’s a deliberate misunderstanding of the definition of corruption,” mentioned Nel.
He likened Mbalula’s case to current testimony from the Madlanga fee the place an alleged R70 000 mortgage to the South African Police Service’s head of organised crime, Richard Shibiri, by businessperson and alleged chief of the Large 5 cartel Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala was paid after the actual fact.
Nel drew similarities with how Shibiri began making funds to Matlala after a police raid to make it look like a mortgage, with how Mbalula made funds to the journey agent after his Dubai journey was reported within the media.
“I recommend to you that after there have been these questions by the media, you noticed the media was catching on to you and also you determined the cash that had been paid to you, not as a mortgage I recommend, it’s best to now pay again to Mr Dockrat and Sedgars in order to to make it seem like a mortgage,” mentioned Nel.
AfriForum has additionally opened a crimen injuria case in opposition to Mbalula for statements in opposition to Bergview School principal Jaco Pieterse, who was falsely accused of raping a 7-year-old woman. Nel mentioned AfriForum was growing the regulation to privately prosecute politicians comparable to Mbalula for corruption.
Kriel famous that whereas AfriForum had obtained the stop and desist letter from Mbalula’s legal professionals, they determined to go forward to cease Mbalula from turning into president.
