Party says Mkhize is being vindictive

ANC treasurer -general Zweli Mkhize has been accused of using the party purse to punish the KwaZulu-Natal party leadership for its failure to support his presidential bid

Earlier this year Mkhize withdrew the legal team that represented the provincial leadership in a legal dispute with ANC branches that wanted the provincial election in 2015 voided.

This had forced the provincial leadership to find and pay for a new legal team. It now says this had played a role in its legal defeat.

Last month the court ruled in favour of the branches, effectively disbanding the provincial leadership, with the national elective ANC conference months away.

Ironically, the withdrawn legal firm was Ngubane Wills, at which Mkhize's niece, Sibu Ngubane-Zulu, and long-time Mkhize family lawyer John Wills are partners.

A member of the provincial leadership told the Sunday Times that Mkhize "lost it" when the provincial leadership showed no "enthusiasm" for supporting his candidacy.

"Before we knew it, we had no lawyers to defend us because he [Mkhize] had pulled them out. He is the one who pulls the purse strings," she said.

Provincial ANC spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli confirmed this week that the provincial ANC had to find new lawyers.

"We were made to understand that they were withdrawing because of enormous work. Yes, it was curious that the national executive committee stopped paying our legal fees from then on," said Ntuli.

He said he was aware of the alleged relationship between Mkhize and Ngubane-Zulu, as well as of talk that the lawyers were withdrawn when it became apparent that Mkhize's presidential bid was not supported by the province.

For more than a week Mkhize and his media aide, Tahera Mather, did not respond to questions, despite undertaking to do so.

Ngubane-Zulu, who would not shed light on her relationship with Mkhize, said: "This is funny and petty."

"If the insinuation is that Mkhize 'made me', such credit is misdirected and undermines a young black professional."

She said she would continue to work hard to pursue her goals in spite of the people wishing to pull her down.