EFF says Nzimande must stop using them as ‘scapegoats’ in VBS scandal

The EFF has released a statement condemning South African Communist Party (SACP) leader Blade Nzimande’s assertion that the red berets were behind the SACP being implicated in the VBS Bank scandal.

On Sunday, Nzimande told eNCA that the EFF was to blame for allegations that the SACP had received R3 million from the bank and that the party was lying.

“The EFF is telling lies. If they have proof they must bring it. It is very clear what they are trying to do,” said Nzimande.

READ MORE: VBS bought off SACP for millions – report

“They are trying to divert the attention from the fact that they are the ones who are seriously implicated. They must face the truth.”

The EFF hit back, condemning what they said was Nzimande using their party as a “scapegoat”.

The party denied any involvement in the claims regarding the SACP, which first emerged in a report by City Press.

The statement continued to “condemn the media’s uncritical usage of this version by Nzimande, instead of putting facts to him, which are now a matter of public record”.

READ MORE: SACP denies receiving millions from VBS Bank

The statement continued to say that the SACP had to “man up and face accountability, without mention of the EFF”.

The party went on to confront advocate Terry Motau, who wrote The Great Bank Heist report that implicated 53 people, including EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu’s brother Brian, in having received large sums of money as a result of the alleged looting of the bank.

According to the EFF, there are “allegations” that Motau knew about the SACP’s involvement but left it out of the report. The statement does not expand on this or say who made these allegations.

The EFF accused Motau of “bias” and having “doctored” the report.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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