The ongoing legal feud between African National Congress (ANC) heavyweights has escalated into a full-scale courtroom showdown.

The Johannesburg High Court has officially ordered that oral evidence be heard to resolve the defamation lawsuit brought by ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula against National Executive Committee (NEC) member Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

The legal battle stems from serious allegations made by Dlamini-Zuma during a podcast interview in August 2026. She openly accused Mbalula of “dishing out” cash to delegates at a clinic during the ANC’s 55th National Conference at Nasrec in December 2022 to buy votes and secure his leadership position.

Mbalula fiercely denied the claims and approached the court seeking an urgent order to compel a formal retraction and apology.

In a public statement released on Monday, Mbalula confirmed that Acting Judge Henno Viljoen dismissed Dlamini-Zuma’s technical objections (points in limine) regarding non-joinder, failure to exhaust internal party remedies, and abuse of process.

However, the ruling did not grant Mbalula the immediate vindication he sought.

The court determined that the starkly conflicting accounts given by both politicians constitute a genuine dispute of fact that cannot be resolved solely on written affidavits.

According to the court order, a formal hearing will be tightly confined to verifying whether Mbalula distributed money to influence the 2022 internal party elections.

If the court ultimately finds in Mbalula’s favor, it will then assess the extent of the reputational damage caused to determine if an ordered retraction and apology are warranted.

While Mbalula highlighted that the judge refused to dismiss his lawsuit outright as requested by the defense, the order forces both high-ranking ANC officials to take the witness stand.

Both Mbalula and Dlamini-Zuma must now face rigorous cross-examination to settle the vote-buying allegations under oath.

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