‘Heads will roll’ of ANC leaders implicated in VBS scandal

African National Congress (ANC) spokesperson Pule Mabe told journalists today that the governing party’s provincial structures in Limpopo have instituted processes to address the issue of the party’s provincial leaders implicated in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal.

The South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) commissioned report titled The Great Bank Heist, which was released on Wednesday, reportedly implicated the deputy chairperson of the ANC in the province, Florence Radzilani, and provincial treasurer Danny Msiza.

Radzilani allegedly invested R300 million of the Vhembe District Municipality’s monies and had allegedly been bribed, while Msiza was alleged to have had a hand in ensuring that municipalities illegally deposit to the bank.

Mabe said the party would address the issue at its national working committee meeting next week and said once the party has sufficiently interrogated the matter it would inform the nation on steps it would take going forward.

“What we can emphasise, which is a point we have made, is that championing for ethical leadership and good governance is one of the things that the ANC believes would drive forward the processes of renewal. So, where there has been wrong doing heads must roll,” Mabe said.

The ANC spokesperson called on journalists to note that the governing party had led the process of establishing financial sector regulations which, in part, led to the establishment of the Prudential Authority led by the deputy governor at the South African Reserve Bank, which instituted the forensic investigation into the bank.

This, Mabe said, is proof that the governing party is committed to rooting out wrongdoing regardless of who is implicated.

“We try and encourage a sense of accountability and make sure that those that are given responsibility to govern our people, they do so responsibly,” Mabe said.

He said the governing party would take decisive action on the VBS Bank scandal, adding that the ANC is steadfast on that the law should take its course and overlook the political affiliation of individuals implicated in the scandal.

“This is one call that we have made in our statement,” Mabe said.

The ANC’s head of elections, Fikile Mbalula, said the report about the alleged looting of the bank is devastating news for all, particularly the poorest South Africans.

Mbalula said in the context of seeking to advance the poor, the scandal is “a total let down”.

He said the ANC’s handling of the VBS scandal is critical because it would be an “important story for many years to come”.

“Because this is alarming and it is a matter that requires decisive action from all involved. The state must do what the state must do to ensure that we deal with corruption and that we deal with lawlessness decisively.

“There are arms of the state that must deal with that, they don’t need to be commanded, the ANC has always said act without fear or favour,” Mbalula said.

He emphasiszed that the governing party is determined to take decisive action and that “heads are going to roll” in due time, once organisational processes have been followed.

“The ANC didn’t send anyone to be corrupt. It didn’t say, ‘go and be corrupt on our behalf’. People who are corrupt are corrupt on their own. Those who are implicated must answer for themselves, it has nothing to do with the ANC,” Mbalula said.

Mbalula reiterated that the governing party would take action against those implicated in the scandal because they had brought the party into disrepute.

“This VBS thing must be dealt with in all fronts in terms of law enforcement and at the same time we must not prevaricate when we deal with it.”

Mabe and Mbalula were responding to journalists’ questions at the unveiling of the ANC’s plans to roll-out the party’s manifesto for the 2019 general elections.

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