By Vusuthando Percyvil Dube
Thembi Simelane, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, is scheduled to testify before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Friday, following allegations that she got a R575,600 loan from a VBS bank employee during her stint as Polokwane mayor. The announcement follows ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula’s statement that Simelane has provided a full account of her actions and is cooperating with the investigation.
“She will go to the integrity commission, present herself, and then we will be advised by the integrity commission having evaluated what she said to them and based on the facts before them,” Mbalula said.
Simelane, formerly known as Nkandimeng, is under scrutiny for a loan exceeding half a million rand that she obtained from Gundo Wealth Solutions, owned by Rallion Razwinane. This loan was reportedly used to purchase a coffee shop in Sandton. The controversy deepens as Razwinane brokered a R350 million investment from the Limpopo Municipality during Simelane’s mayoralty, despite existing restrictions against municipal investments in mutual banks like VBS.
University of Johannesburg Professor in Practice college of Business and economics Theo Venter commented on the situation, suggesting that the ANC’s interim commission operates with limited effectiveness, likening it to a “toothless lion.”
“The plot thickens to the extent that we have a conflict of interest in terms of the position she is currently occupying, and what the government is trying to do in terms of dealing with the VBS scandal and corruption in general,” added Venter.
With increasing pressure from the public and party officials, President Cyril Ramaphosa has demanded a thorough explanation from Simelane. She is expected to address these serious allegations during a parliamentary session later this week. Critics argue that under similar circumstances in other countries, a minister in her position would have already resigned.
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