The African National Congress (ANC) has called AfriForum “a racist organisation” while defending secretary general Fikile Mbalula against what it describes as a politically motivated legal campaign.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is charging Mbalula with crimen injuria over remarks he made in April 2025 allegedly linking former Bergview College principal Jaco Pieterse to the rape of a child at the school in October 2024. AfriForum argues that Pieterse was identifiable from the context, despite not being named, and alleges that Mbalula described him as an animal, damaging his dignity and reputation. Pieterse laid the complaint against Mbalula with AfriForum’s support after the NPA initially declined to prosecute Mbalula over his comments. The NPA has now decided to charge him.

In a statement issued by ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu over the weekend, the party questioned AfriForum’s announcement that the NPA had decided to prosecute Mbalula following its representations.

The ANC said neither the party nor Mbalula had been informed of such a decision by police or prosecutors. It described AfriForum being the first to announce the decision as “peculiar, irregular, and potentially corrupt”.

The party argued that the remarks at issue came from an official ANC statement prepared for Mbalula to deliver following National Executive Committee discussions on gender-based violence and femicide. “It named no person as a suspect,” the ANC said, adding that the party should answer for the statement.

The ANC said its statement followed the public identification of a suspect by the police minister and the South African Police Service. When the minister acknowledged that the identification was incorrect, the party said it had publicly acknowledged the correction and reiterated its support for the victim and her family.

It also claimed that prosecutors had previously closed the complaint “for want of merit” before it was revived following representations from AfriForum. The ANC accused AfriForum of using state institutions to pursue political objectives and resist transformation.

The ANC said Mbalula would address the matter through the legal process. It pledged to continue its work while protecting the dignity of children, survivors, and people affected by serious allegations.