ANC spokesperson Carl Niehaus told Talk Radio 702 on Friday that he was "mortified" by a short-lived attempt at improperly securing money to pay an overwhelming debt.

"I have been mortified that I allowed myself to even think along those lines and allowed that to happen for that short time that I did," he said on morning radio.

The former anti-apartheid activist, whose career spans being spokesperson for charismatic Christian church Rhema to a diplomatic posting in Europe, was responding to a Mail & Guardian article on debt problems which led to him forging signatures of senior Gauteng provincial government figures.

Niehaus said he had sent a message to the African National Congress that he was offering to resign after details of his debt-related problems, which the party had known about and were helping him to recover from, were unexpectedly made public.

"When I joined the ANC I made a full declaration... it was not a secret."

Taking corrective measures

He said he had been taking corrective measures over the past years to address his excessive spending, and this included therapy sessions and a package put together by a group of businessmen to deal with his outstanding debts.

Taking presenter John Robbie through the details of how he forged some signatures to raise money, he explained: "I was under severe pressure with a serious debt to the Rhema church (reportedly R700 000)."

His former wife's property could have been repossessed and he could have been sequestrated.

"Under that pressure I made a mistake to produce a letter which was making promises for the possibility that the Gauteng provincial government would rent in certain buildings in the central business district of Johannesburg," he explained.

"In return for that there was a company who was prepared to provide me with a loan in order to settle the debt that I had with Rhema which had reached the point where it was going to be called in and, as I said, firm legal action was going to be taken."

But Niehaus said that "within hours" of writing the letter he contacted former finance MEC, now Gauteng premier, Paul Mashatile.

"... I said 'I allowed myself to get into this situation, I have done this, I retract this letter, I apologise, clearly because of the situation which I have been in, I have not been thinking things through clearly, I have done wrong', and I immediately placed my resignation."

He said none of the agreements of the letter were fulfilled.

Niehaus was jobless for three years

"... Out of that whole incident not a single cent was made by that company or by anyone else because it was immediately stopped by myself.

"But of course, that doesn't mean that it is right what I have done and I deeply regret it."

Niehaus said he was jobless for almost three years after that and the ANC spokesperson job came as a lifeline.

His current life has no extravagance, he said.

"It was a serious problem and I can admit to you that for a period of my life I have lived above my means."

He disagreed with the inference in the article that his need for money was driven by his former wife's desire for "shopping shopping shopping".

"Ultimately I am [an] adult and I am a person who should take responsibility, and I take responsibility for my own actions, I do not want to make anyone else responsible or blame anyone else."

ANC lost senior members

He said the information must have been released by someone "not my friend" as it does neither him nor the ANC any favours.

The ANC recently lost a number of senior members who left to form the Congress of the People and who intend contesting the forthcoming elections.

Niehaus sent a message to the secretary general and treasurer general of the ANC saying that although he had declared the situation, nobody intended for it to become public.

"And I have offered my resignation."

When asked to confirm his offer, ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte said it was not true but they were working to establish further information on the matter. "It's not true. We have heard this rumour all morning long," she said. Her immediate reaction to the article was that it contained inaccuracies. She said it was untrue that she was unhappy about Niehaus's appointment to the team of spokespeople that would lead the party's media communication through the elections.

"This is a person I have known for 32 years... we work well together, we always have... I have great respect for him."

Niehaus said he left the future of his job in the ANC's hands.

When contacted for further comment, Niehaus sounded distraught and ended the call.