Simelane saga ‘eroding trust’ in NPA - ActionSA
ActionSA believes trust in the country’s prosecution authority will continue to erode as long as Minister of Justice Thembi Simelane remains in her position.
Simelane is under pressure to step down after it emerged that she received a loan of more than R500,000 from a VBS-linked fixer, Gundo Wealth Solutions, during her tenure as Polokwane mayor.
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.
ActionSA MP Malebo Kobe and the party’s Limpopo chairperson, Victor Mothemela, opened a criminal case against the minister at the Polokwane police station on Tuesday.
Kobe believes Simelane has violated the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, and should resign from her position.
“As ActionSA, we are asking the minister to maybe step aside until this matter of VBS has been resolved,” she said.
“We need the government to bring people into their confidence. We need to restore institutional trust and while Simelane is still sitting there as the Department of Justice Minister, she is in charge of the NPA, the very body that is also supposed to be investigating this matter should it get to that point.
“It would be a conflict of interest if she still finds herself in that seat.”
The minister used the money to buy a coffee shop in Sandton. She has denied any wrongdoing and has given President Cyril Ramaphosa a report on the matter.
She has also appeared before the ANC’s integrity commission.
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