JOHANNESBURG, Sunday 4 October 2026 — The ANC is facing an attempt to seize nearly R40 million from five of its bank accounts, including accounts used for elections, salaries and fundraising, after a telecommunications company moved to enforce a debt arising from work it says was completed for the party in 2019.
Eltel has instructed the sheriff to seek payment from money held in the ANC’s Nedbank accounts after obtaining what an execution notice describes as a writ of execution on 25 September.
The targeted accounts include those designated for elections, fundraising, levies and salaries, as well as an account associated with Electoral Commission-related activities, according to court documents reported by the Sunday Times and Sowetan.
The enforcement attempt comes exactly one month before the 4 November local government elections, when the African National Congress will contest thousands of ward and proportional-representation seats across the country.
It is not yet clear how much money is held in the affected accounts or whether any funds have been transferred to the sheriff.
Debt dates back to work allegedly completed in 2019
Eltel’s claim arises from work it says it performed for the ANC between February and May 2019.
According to the company’s particulars of claim, the debt was subsequently acknowledged in an agreement allegedly signed by then ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile on 16 March 2022.
Mashatile is now South Africa’s deputy president.
The acknowledgement of debt recorded an amount of R24.2 million, including outstanding capital, interest and legal costs, and provided for the party to settle the obligation by October 2022, according to the court documents.
Eltel alleges that the ANC failed to comply with the payment arrangement.
The company says subsequent communications between it and the party amounted to further acknowledgements of the debt.
It argues that those interactions interrupted prescription and that the money therefore remains legally recoverable.
Amount has risen to almost R40m
Eltel says the outstanding amount has since increased substantially.
Court documents include a draft default judgment order providing for payment of R36.4 million, together with approximately R582,500 in interest calculated between 1 July and 25 September and legal costs of about R2.9 million.
The execution notice places the amount being pursued at approximately R39.9 million.
The notice served on Nedbank demands that money held in the identified accounts be paid towards satisfaction of the debt.
It gives the bank nine days from service to pay, dispute its liability or provide a defence to the sheriff.
If the bank does not comply, Eltel could seek a court order compelling payment.
Election account among those targeted
The timing creates an additional political dimension because one of the targeted accounts is used for the ANC’s election activities.
Another is used for salaries, while separate accounts cover fundraising and levies.
The court documents do not establish the balances currently held in the five accounts, meaning it is not known whether sufficient funds are available to satisfy the amount Eltel is pursuing.
There is also no public confirmation that Nedbank has transferred money from the accounts.
The ANC had not provided a response to the Sunday Times by the time its report was published.
The legal dispute emerges while the party is conducting a nationwide municipal campaign and simultaneously fighting litigation over candidates excluded from the November election.
On Sunday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said an unsuccessful Constitutional Court appeal over those candidate submissions could have a severe effect on the party’s electoral performance.
ANC has faced previous debt enforcement
This is not the first time the ANC has faced attempts to attach assets or bank accounts over unpaid campaign-related debts.
In 2023, a sheriff visited Luthuli House as Ezulweni Investments sought to recover more than R100 million from the party for election material supplied for the 2019 national election campaign.
Bank accounts and physical assets were targeted during that enforcement process.
The latest dispute involves a different creditor and a separate alleged debt.
Eltel’s case will now be watched for whether money is successfully attached from the five accounts and whether the ANC challenges the enforcement process.
With municipal voting a month away, any successful attachment involving the election account could also raise questions about the immediate financial effect on the party’s campaign.
