ActionSA to grill Ramaphosa on Simelane in National Assembly

Simelane has previously denied any improper relationship with the contractor involved in the VBS scandal during her tenure as mayor of Polokwane.

Simelane told MPs during a previous appearance in Parliament that she did not unduly benefit from the looting of VBS Mutual Bank and was never involved in the appointment of the fixer, Gundo Wealth Solutions.

The company’s owner, Ralliom Razwinane, has been charged with fraud, corruption, and money laundering related to facilitating connections and “investments” between municipalities, including the Polokwane Municipality and the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank.

Simelane said the municipality never paid any money to Gundo Wealth Solutions.

ActionSA has already opened a laid case against Simelane. 

Speaking during a media briefing on Monday, the party's parliamentary leader, Athol Trollip, said the party will pursue every available route to get answers from the minister.

“We will hold this minister to account to the very last opportunity that we have,” he said.

“We tried the president, no response; we tried the speaker, no response; we tried the public protector, no response; we have laid criminal charges, but we're not going to stop there because on Thursday this week, the president is coming to Parliament and I'm going to be asking him what he is going to do about his minister who has this cloud of controversy hanging over her head.”

Trollip said the party will also push for stricter rules to ensure compromised individuals are not allowed to serve in Parliament. 

“We want to make sure that people who are compromised beyond bankruptcy and unrehabilitated insolvency or people who have been sentenced to jail for more than a year that includes people that have been impeached from high public office, serving as members of Parliament because there is a conundrum currently around Dr John Hlophe and member of parliament [Busisiwe] Mkhwebane from the EFF.”

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