The African National Congress Youth League’s extravagant anniversary bash last year has landed the ruling party’s youth wing in financial hot water.
Papers before the Johannesburg High Court reveal that the youth league is struggling to settle debts resulting from the celebration.
The event, which involved more than 10 local musicians and DJs, was held at the Kyalami Race Track in Midrand last November as part of the league’s 60th-anniversary celebrations. The bash featured local artists such as Lebo Mathosa, Mzekezeke and Mafikizolo. The league dished out T-shirts and caps to the first 4 000 people who arrived at the function.
Court papers show that the league has failed to pay Solid Rock Productions, the company that provided the sound and staging equipment.
The court issued a default judgement against the youth league last month and ordered it to pay Solid Rock R105 261,59 (including interest).
Solid Rock filed suit against the youth league in March. In court papers, the company claimed the league had failed to pay, despite written undertakings that it would do so before January.
The company claimed that it had a ”partly oral and partly written agreement” with the youth league to supply sound and staging equipment.
In terms of the agreement, the company was to supply the equipment at a cost of R175 000. The youth league only paid R75 000.
Solid Rock managing director Hans Rooseboom said this week that the youth league had offered to pay the debt in monthly instalments of R2 000 over a four-year period.
He said his company has since rejected the youth league’s offer to pay in monthly instalments and is now preparing to attach its assets.
In a letter attached to court papers by Solid Rock, the youth league appealed to the company to give it time to raise the money from its sponsors.