‘Laying charges against Simelane appropriate route’ – Ministry

The Justice Ministry says the opening of criminal charges against embattled Justice Minister Thembi Simelane for taking a R575,600 VBS Bank-linked loan will allow the matter to be concluded.

ActionSA on Tuesday laid criminal charges against Simelane for alleged violations of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act and forgery.

“Appropriate route”

Justice ministry spokesperson Tsekiso Machike said the department noted the move.

“The ministry believes laying criminal charges is the appropriate route whenever there are suspicions of unlawful conduct. An investigation will allow the matter to finally reach its logical conclusion. 

“Because the matter is now subject to a police investigation, the minister will not be responding to media enquiries until the matter has been concluded,” Machike said.

Simelane took the R575 600 “commercial loan” from Gundo Wealth Solutions, a company that allegedly brokered unlawful investments of R349 million by the Polokwane Municipality into the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank.

She has denied any wrongdoing.

ALSO READ: ActionSA lays criminal charges against Justice Minister Simelane

Step aside rule

Last month, Simelane appeared before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Justice to address the allegations that she funnelled millions into VBS while serving as the mayor of Polokwane in 2016.

Gundo Wealth Solutions is owned by Ralliom Razwinane. He stands trial on 13 counts of corruption as part of the main criminal case around the R2 billion theft that collapsed the bank in early 2018.

The alleged kickbacks to Gundo, a portion of which eventually ended up with the minister, are the subject of two counts of corruption.

Many opposition parties and the ANC Veterans League have called for the ANC to implement the step-aside rule against Simelane.

ALSO READ: Thembi Simelane ‘may not survive’ VBS allegations – analyst

Ramaphosa dealing with Simelane matter

Simelane appeared before the ANC Integrity Commission last Wednesday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa recently assured South Africans that Simelane’s matter would not be “swept under the carpet”.

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa would decide on Simelane once he had examined the report she submitted to him.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa avoids public comment on Simelane’s VBS controversy [VIDEO]