Dlamini‑Zuma withdraws Lamola voice‑note claim, keeps broader money‑in‑politics warning

Former cabinet minister Nkosazana Dlamini‑Zuma has withdrawn a specific allegation that International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola was implicated in a voice note about vote‑buying at the ANC’s 2017 conference, while reiterating broader concerns about the role of money in party leadership contests.

Retraction after Lamola’s denial

Dlamini‑Zuma made the withdrawal in a post on X. In the post she said she had attributed a voice note to Lamola during her appearance on the African Renaissance Podcast and that Lamola had advised her the voice was not his.

“During my participation in the African Renaissance Podcast, I attributed a voice note to comrade Ronald Lamola. Comrade Lamola has since advised me that the voice was not his. I withdraw the attribution on the basis of his clarification,”

The original allegation was made on the African Renaissance Podcast, hosted by former EFF MP and Chief Whip Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, when Dlamini‑Zuma said a voice note circulating during the ANC’s 2017 national conference implicated Lamola in paying delegates.

Lamola’s response and threat of legal action

Lamola responded on X on 5 August, denying any involvement in vote‑buying at the ANC’s 54th National Conference in 2017 and asking Dlamini‑Zuma to retract the allegation “in a comradely manner.”

“I have noted with concern and disappointment the remarks you made recently on a podcast with Dr Ndlozi. You are a leader I have long held in high esteem throughout my years of activism in the African National Congress,”

He also said,

“These comments seek to associate my name with alleged vote‑buying activities during the ANC’s 54th National Conference in 2017. Let me be unequivocal: I categorically deny any involvement in vote‑buying, whether through phone calls, voice notes or any other medium, during that conference or at any other time.”

Lamola further rejected the suggestion that the voice in question was his, saying his voice and manner of speech are well known to many comrades and that a fair‑minded person could discern it was not his voice.

Broader concerns remain

Although Dlamini‑Zuma withdrew the specific attribution to Lamola, she said the broader issue she raised on the podcast the influence of money in leadership contests remains important.

“The broader concern I raised regarding the influence of money in leadership contests remains an important matter that must be addressed for the renewal and integrity of the African National Congress,”

Other claims and legal steps

On the same podcast, Dlamini‑Zuma had accused ANC secretary‑general Fikile Mbalula of “dishing [out] money” at the 2022 conference. She said the money was given “to be elected and for the president to be elected.”

She has not withdrawn that claim. The article states that Mbalula has initiated legal proceedings and that his lawyers had written to Dlamini‑Zuma demanding she retract or substantiate the allegations.

Political backdrop

The dispute between Dlamini‑Zuma, Lamola and Mbalula comes as the ANC prepares for the local government election on 4 November 2026. The article reports that ANC secretary‑general Fikile Mbalula warned there is “no political solution” to the reputational damage caused by Dlamini‑Zuma’s claims, and that President Cyril Ramaphosa, at the party’s manifesto launch in Soweto, acknowledged the party had failed South Africans in some respects while asking the country to give the ANC another mandate to govern municipalities after the elections.