In his statement, Hlungwani claims that his marginalisation was a direct result of his reluctance to sign a 45 million Rand arrangement that was tied to ANC Nasrec money.
An astonishing allegation has been brought to light in front of an ad hoc committee. Witness Tiyani Hlungwani asserts that he was marginalised as a result of his refusal to accept a proposal for a mechanical grabber machine that was worth R45 million. This procurement is rumoured to have been used to finance the African National Congress’s 2017 Nasrec election conference.
Following the discovery of what he referred to as irregularities in the procurement method, Hlungwani informed the committee under oath that he had expressed concerns regarding the transaction. He explained that the reason he did not provide his approval to the deal was because it did not have sufficient justification and did not provide adequate value for the money.
As far as Hlungwani is concerned, those individuals who were hostile to the accord were subject to swift consequences. According to him, he was later excluded from significant decision-making procedures and marginalised in his position. He alleged that this occurred. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that he stated that Fikile Mbalula, a prominent official in the African National Congress (ANC), had instructed him to proceed with the transaction.
Hlunganai emphasised that he never got direct orders from Mbalula himself, despite the fact that the alleged direction was sent to him through intermediaries. His insistence that his exile was a direct result of his disobedience was a point of contention.
The charges have heightened the investigation that was already underway into the procedures for public procurement and the alleged use of state-related transactions for the purpose of financing political campaigns. At this moment, the statements have not been tested and have not been confirmed, and the committee has not yet published any formal interpretations of the situation.
In the past, Fikile Mbalula had denied any involvement in any type of misconduct that was associated with the financing of African National Congress (ANC) conferences. It is anticipated that the ad hoc committee will listen to additional information before coming to any findings or making any recommendations.
