ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has broken his silence on allegations surrounding a reported R1.7 million trip to Libya aboard a luxury jet owned by cigarette businessman Adriano Mazzotti.
According to reports, Mbalula departed from Lanseria Airport aboard a Falcon 900 business jet (ZS-FCI) operated by ExecuJet but owned by Mazzotti. The trip, which reportedly took place in August 2025, sparked questions after Mbalula refused to disclose both the purpose of his visit to Benghazi and who covered the cost.
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Sources estimate the total flight cost at around R1.7 million, covering fuel, crew fees, and landing charges. Mbalula reportedly returned to South Africa via Entebbe on 26 August, two days after his departure, before addressing media at Luthuli House on ANC matters and local governance issues.
Detours during the trip were reportedly linked to insurance concerns about leaving the aircraft in Benghazi overnight — considered a high-risk destination.
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During the trip, Mbalula — known for his active online presence — was notably absent from social media.
Speculation Mounts Over Purpose of Libya Visit
At the time of Mbalula’s visit, Benghazi hosted the African Union’s Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA 2025) conference, which ran from 20 to 27 August and attracted delegates from 53 nations.
However, Mbalula did not appear in any official CISSA photographs, raising questions about the nature of his presence in Libya.
When initially asked about the trip, Mbalula responded cryptically, saying, “Unfortunately, I can’t help you because I don’t understand your enquiry.”
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On Sunday, the ANC Secretary-General issued a formal statement dismissing the claims as “nothing short of sensational and a fishing expedition that seeks to create an impression of scandal where none exists.”
“The article’s shoddy patchwork of citing Ministerial rules, financial affairs of the ANC, [and the] AU conference is a clear demonstration of the levels of desperation to drag my name in the mud,” Mbalula said.
He insisted the trip was legitimate and conducted in his capacity as ANC Secretary-General: “My trip to Libya was above board, and there was nothing shady about it.
“As a secretary-general I get invited to many countries in the continent and beyond for a variety of reasons. Many of these trips take place away from public glare. I find it rather curious that City Press expects this trip to be any different.”
Fikile Mbalula Threatens Legal Action Over ‘Defamatory’ Claims
Mbalula said he had endured years of attempts to tarnish his reputation, describing the latest reports as part of a “public lynching through the court of public opinion without a shred of evidence.”
“If reputational damage through innuendo and rumour-mongering becomes the order of the day, we would be allowing our country to slide down a dangerous path where the rights of citizens are at the mercy of those who seek to sell newspapers through salacious headlines,” he stated.
Mbalula added that he had instructed his lawyers to explore a possible defamation case.
This is not the first time Mbalula’s international travel has faced scrutiny. In 2016, while serving as South Africa’s sports minister, Mbalula and his family travelled to Dubai on a trip funded by Sedgars Sports, owned by the Dockrat family.
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Despite a public protector recommendation for further investigation, the National Prosecuting Authority later announced there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
Addressing the revived claims last year, Mbalula accused AfriForum — which sought a private prosecution over the Dubai trip — of rehashing resolved matters.
“There is no scandal, it has been proven. That matter has been subjected to an investigation, and there was a public pronouncement on it,” he told journalists. “Now if some overenthusiastic braggarts think they can get something out of it then let them proceed with it.”
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