Shivambu to challenge VBS-linked sanction in court
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu will approach the courts to challenge sanctions imposed on him by Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests.
The committee recommended Shivambu be docked nine days’ salary as a sanction for not disclosing the R180,000 he received in three separate payments from Sgameka Projects - a company owned by his brother, Brian Shivambu.
Brian Shivambu was listed in the report into the collapse of VBS Bank as having received an unlawful R16 million payments through Sgameka Projects.
In 2019, the DA filed a complaint with the committee accusing Shivambu of receiving donations from the controversial bank via a company called Grand Azania between 2017 and 2018.
The Daily Maverick reported that Grand Azania paid over half a million rand towards Shivambu’s wedding celebrations in April 2017.
According to the committee, Shivambu had not disclosed three payments and had breached the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members' Interests.
These payments are R100 000 on 18 August 2017, a further R30 000 on 24 August 2017, and R50 000 on 26 August 2017.
The EFF argues that the money received through Sgameka had nothing to do with VBS.
"The conclusion that the deputy president received a donation that was not declared is utterly false and not a reflection of reality,” the party said in a statement.
“The deputy president will take Parliament to court to overturn the joint committee’s irrational and opportunistic conclusion and sanction. It is not in the powers of a joint committee to dispute the loans between people, even when they have demonstrated beyond any sensible doubt that they had loaned each other money.”
The party also argued that parliamentary rules do not prescribe that loans must be declared to the legislature.
"There is, therefore, absolutely nothing wrong that the deputy president did. Hence, the legal challenge will be successful.
“The EFF nevertheless welcomes and accepts that the joint committee has concluded that there was no money from VBS that was received by the leadership of the EFF. Rumour mongers and information peddlers who tried to link EFF leaders to VBS money are now put to shame.”
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