ANC prepared to pay back money from VBS, says Mabe

Spokesperson of the ANC Pule Mabe has reportedly said the party will institute an internal investigation to determine whether it is true the ANC benefited from the VBS Mutual Bank scandal.

The ANC has said it is willing reimburse any money gained by the party from the VBS scandal, if true.

According to reports at the weekend, R2 million was donated to the party for its campaign ahead of the 2016 local government elections.

However, the ANC said it only knew of R250 000 donated by Vele Investments, which was heavily implicated in the VBS scandal.

In a statement on Monday following its meeting at the weekend, the ANC’s integrity committee recommended that the party’s leaders fingered in the VBS saga should step aside.

Meanwhile, the DA has called on Limpopo Premier Stanley Mathabatha and the governing party to take action against ANC members implicated in the VBS scandal.

DA members of the Limpopo provincial legislature Jacques Smalle said: “Premier Mathabatha in his capacity as the premier of the province and ANC chairperson of Limpopo must now take action along with the rest of the ANC’s provincial executive committee against those implicated.”

Smalle said Mathabatha must ensure that ANC Limpopo deputy chair Florence Radzilani and provincial treasurer Danny Msiza, who are implicated in the scandal, are removed.

“The failing ANC in the province has been dragging its feet and had insisted in taking direction from the Integrity Commission of the ANC despite a South African Reserve Bank forensic report clearly outlining the alleged involvement of Limpopo ANC leaders in the VBS scandal,” Smalle said.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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