ANC website remains down amid allegations of R32m outstanding bill
The ANC's website remains inaccessible amid allegations that it was shut down over an outstanding bill of R32m with its service provider.
If a user attempts to visit anc.org.za they are directed to a message which reads: "This website is suspended due to non-payment to the service provider."
Attempts by News24 to get comment from the party for the past two days have been unsuccessful.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe responded to a call from News24 with a text message on Friday night saying he could not talk. He did not comment further.
Business Day reported on Thursday that attorneys for Unwembi Communications had instructed that services be withheld until the outstanding amount was paid.
However, the paper said that Mabe had disputed the allegations, saying that the ANC did not have any contract with Unwembi.
According to the report, Mabe said the only reason why the website was down was because it was being revamped and that a new service provider was in place.
"I don’t know what hogwash that is, we don’t owe anyone R32m," Mabe was quoted as saying.
The Citizen reported on Thursday that Unwembi Communications registered its domain in July 1997, and that it owns the party’s .org domain.
Business Day said that court papers were sent to the ANC last week, outlining a number of agreements in place between the service provider and the ANC.
The report added that the letter further stated that the ANC owed Unwembi R26.5m for a membership system agreement.
The letter also reportedly detailed that an amount of R6m for an agreement on the party's website was owed. The service provider further asked for R467,412 to be paid for breach of contract.
Several people on Twitter questioned how the ANC could run government if it could not pay for the site, including EFF's deputy president Floyd Shivambu.
He tweeted on Friday night that small businesses and enterprises are often strangled because of government not paying.
Others questioned how the ANC could allegedly owe the service provider so much.
