ActionSA has filed a complaint with the Public Protector against Justice Minister Thembi Simelane, who took a loan of almost R1 million from a company implicated in the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank corruption scandal.
According to a Daily Maverick report, Simelane took a loan of R575 600 during her tenure as Polokwane municipality mayor, from Gundo Wealth Solutions. The corrupt investment brokerage is owned by Ralliom Razwinane, who is currently on trial for fraud, corruption, and money laundering related to his role in facilitating connections and “investments” between municipalities, including the Polokwane Municipality, and the now defunct bank.
MALEMA ‘IMPLICATES’ JUSTICE MINISTER IN VBS BANK SAGA
According to the publication VBS awarded Razwinane with kickbacks totalling R24.2 million for being a commissioning agent for various municipalities and state entities. Investigators found these to be corrupt transactions and contraventions of the Municipal Finance Management Act.
Further, the publication reported that between September 2016 and May 2017, Polokwane Municipality made at least five unlawful deposits into VBS bank, totalling R349-million. Notably, unlike other municipalities which lost large amounts when VBS imploded, the Polokwane municipality reportedly retrieved all its money.
In response, ActionSA caucus leader in Parliament Athol Trollip said they believe this is a clear case of an apparent conflict of interest, with the integrity of the justice system under her stewardship at stake.
Trollip said it is untenable that the very person entrusted with ensuring justice is upheld in South Africa may herself be compromised. This, in turn, casts a shadow over the National Prosecuting Authority’s ability to carry out its mandate impartially and without favour.
“ActionSA has therefore approached the Public Protector to initiate an urgent investigation into this matter and to probe the potential violation of the Executive Members’ Ethics Act. Given the implications for our justice system, we cannot afford to overlook this issue. Moreover, everyone involved in the looting of VBS Bank must be prosecuted, regardless of their political affiliation.
“Should the Public Protector conclude that there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing, ActionSA will write to President Cyril Ramaphosa, requesting the immediate removal of Thembi Simelane as Justice Minister,” Trollip said.
DONDO MOGAJANE AMONG THOSE IMPLICATED BY TSHIFHIWA MATODZI
In a witness statement made under oath, former VBS boss Tshifhiwa Matodzi claimed he paid former Treasury director-general Dondo Mogajane a R1 million bribe through a conduit in 2017, to get Treasury to back off from VBS.
Government had started circling, telling municipalities to stop depositing money at the now-defunct bank.
Matodzi claimed he held a series of meetings with Mogajane, where it was agreed that the former DG would “intervene” in the VBS-Treasury matter.
DO YOU THINK JUSTICE MINISTER THEMBI SIMELANE WILL STEP ASIDE FROM HER DUTIES?
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