ActionSA has opened a corruption case against former Polokwane Mayor and current Justice Minister Thembi Simelane at the Polokwane police station in Limpopo.
The party’s MPL, Malebo Kobe says they want the police to investigate Simelane on the over R500 000 she acquired from VBS-linked company, Gundo Wealth Solutions. Kobe says the new information that came to light reveals that Simelane allegedly backdated the loan timelines as a cover-up.
Simelane received the loan after the Polokwane Municipality had invested over R300 million of public funds in the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank.
The investment happened during her tenure as executive mayor in 2016. The investment was facilitated by Gundo Wealth Solutions.
Kobe says the new information has revealed that the loan appears to have been back dated. She says these dodgy dates and timelines suggest that Simelane received the loan before she could invest money with VBS. Malebo says the alleged backdating of the loan timelines is questionable.
“We have seen that investigative journalists have gotten hold of the papers. They believe that this contractual agreement was actually post-facto. So, the agreement was signed after the loan which we believe it was made to legitimise this agreement which was not in law to begin with.”
ActionSA wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to take swift action on the report regarding Simelane’s alleged involvement in the VBS looting scandal.
President Ramaphosa received the report three weeks ago after the minister appeared before the Justice and Constitutional Portfolio over the scandal. Simelane however denied undue benefits to the loan. Malebo says they want the President to make a determination on the report.
“The President was given this report after he went to an international trip in China. He did urge us to say give us a bit of time that I can process the report that was before me. We have given him ample time. We have also written to the Public Protector because we believe it is not moving with the speed that we believe it must move. Today with the matter of this post- facto contract we shouldn’t be here but it is because the President is not making a determination.”
Malebo says they want the minister to step aside to allow law enforcement agencies to conclude investigations. They believe her role as the minister might interfere with the investigations.
“As ActionSA we are asking the minister to step aside until this matter of VBS has been resolved. We want the government to bring people into their confidence. We need to restore institutional trust. While she is still sitting there as the Justice Minister, she is in charge of the NPA, the same institution that is supposed to investigate the matter so it will be a conflict of interest.”
The minister wouldn’t be drawn to comment.
