The expulsion of Minister of Social Development Sisisi Tolashe from the cabinet over the “nationalisation” of two Chinese SUVs intended for the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) has triggered a sweeping audit of the league’s assets scattered across all nine provinces.
The decision to conduct the audit is contained in a confidential ANCWL National Executive Committee (NEC) report presented to ANC officials on May 8, 2026.
According to the report, an independent legal entity will be appointed to conduct an extensive investigation into the ANCWL’s assets spread across the country and registered under entities such as the Malibongwe Development Trust and other investment structures.
The legal entity will collate information on which assets belong to the league, where those assets are held, and whether they have been properly accounted for.
The NEC directed its officials to “establish terms of reference which must be presented before the NEC for transparency and the credibility of this process.”
The report further reveals that the NEC had already resolved in November 2025—before the Chinese SUV donation saga became public—to audit all ANCWL assets.
However, the Tolashe scandal has accelerated the process.
Africa Daily has learnt that when confronted by ANCWL national officials, Tolashe acknowledged that the SUVs “were meant for the ANC Women’s League” but admitted she had “handed them over to her own children”. She reportedly admitted wrongdoing, “profusely apologised”, and returned the vehicles last week.
The NEC’s deliberations on Sunday, April 26, were described in the report as extraordinary. According to the document, it was “the longest NEC meeting since the election into office of the current leadership of the ANCWL”, adding that discussions were “slightly emotional” but thoroughly examined both the facts and the public narrative surrounding the revelations.
Members, the report states, “deliberated without fear, favour or prejudice, and a common view finally emerged, which was based on what is good for the organisation.”
Even the return of the two SUVs has not fully resolved the matter. The NEC resolved that while it “welcomes the two cars which were brought back”, they should only be added to the ANCWL asset register after officials obtain legal advice.
The move suggests concern within the organisation over the legal implications surrounding ownership and registration of the donated vehicles.
The audit carries significant political implications ahead of the highly contested local government elections scheduled for November 2026.
“It is our conviction, therefore, that the matter regarding the donated cars might seriously harm the ANC’s fortunes, as we traverse uncharted political waters,” the report warns.
The ANCWL has also appealed to the ANC for guidance on how to “navigate this matter”, “take our structures into confidence”, and “deal with the court of public opinion”.
“The ANC Women’s League makes this submission to seek the wisdom of our mother body,” the report states, “fully conscious of the fact that we are members of the ANC before we become members of the ANC Women’s League.”
The league further acknowledged the potential reputational damage caused by the controversy, saying it is “intimately familiar with the implications of this matter as it relates to the reputation of not only the ANC Women’s League but also our liberation movement”.
