The arrival of Fikile Mbalula, the African National Congress (ANC) secretary general, by yacht to Robben Island for the party’s 113th anniversary celebrations sparked both surprise and controversy this past Wednesday. The event, which marked a moment of reflection on the painful history of ANC members incarcerated during the apartheid era, was supposed to be a solemn occasion, but Mbalula’s luxurious entrance on a private yacht left many stunned, especially as other ANC leaders traveled by ferry or helicopter.
The ANC’s anniversary event in Khayelitsha, set for Saturday, had already captured the public’s attention, but it was Mbalula’s arrival at the Robben Island Museum the day before that took center stage. According to a report from Sunday Times, the ANC leader’s grand arrival on the water immediately became the subject of debate. Fellow ANC figures, some of whom took the ferry Sikhululekile, and President Cyril Ramaphosa, who flew in by helicopter for security reasons, had a more conventional approach to reaching the historic site. The juxtaposition of their simpler methods of transportation against Mbalula’s opulent yacht caused a stir, especially considering the somber purpose of the visit—to honor the political prisoners who had suffered on the island.
In the aftermath, ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Donald Selamolela sought to deflect personal responsibility for the controversial choice of transportation, insisting that Mbalula had no involvement in arranging his mode of travel. “Do not put it on Mr Mbalula as a person,” Selamolela told Newzroom Afrika. “Mr Mbalula does not arrange his own movement when he is running the programme of the African National Congress. Put it on us as the ANC. Why did we make that separate arrangement for Mr Mbalula?” Selamolela explained that the party had organized Mbalula’s yacht trip in order to accommodate his busy schedule. He was expected to attend several events on the same day, and the ANC opted for the faster, albeit more expensive, yacht journey to ensure he could fulfill his responsibilities.
Selamolela acknowledged the costliness of the yacht hire but justified the decision, citing the ANC’s commitment to ensuring that Mbalula could meet the party’s demands. “It is true that it is expensive to use that type of ferry, but I must clarify that the respect we have for our people, the commitment in terms of ensuring that our programme of reconnecting with our people… What you saw (on Saturday) is a culmination of various activities that we have been running here,” he said.
However, questions about the transparency of the ANC’s decision remained. While Selamolela did not know the exact cost of the yacht, he emphasized that the decision was made at the organizational level, not by Mbalula himself. The yacht in question, it was reported, belongs to Fernando Acafrao, a businessman who has a history of securing lucrative government contracts, particularly through his company, Mobile Satellite Technologies, which provides mobile clinics to provincial governments. Acafrao’s business dealings have previously come under scrutiny, including a 2015 controversy involving mobile health units that were supposed to be delivered to the KwaZulu-Natal health department, but only two out of four were provided, resulting in a R61 million loss to the province.
As the ANC attempts to defend its actions, the optics of the lavish yacht ride against the backdrop of a ceremony meant to honor those who suffered during apartheid have raised uncomfortable questions about party priorities and financial transparency. While the ANC may insist that the decision was made with good intentions and a focus on meeting the demands of their program, the public perception of such extravagance during a solemn commemoration seems unlikely to fade anytime soon.
