Pauli van Wyk, just give us a list of when the payments were made – Malema

During a press conference at EFF headquarters on Tuesday, EFF leader Julius Malema appealed to investigative journalist Pauli van Wyk to disclose the information she was relying on to claim that EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu had received R10 million from his brother Brian.

Brian Shivambu was last week named in a Reserve Bank-commissioned report as being among 53 people who had received “gratuitous payments” from VBS Bank during a period of “looting”.

Van Wyk claimed in a Daily Maverick report that she had reliable sources and had seen bank statements about the amount that reached Shivambu, along with R1.3 million that allegedly went straight into the EFF’s bank account.

Malema had earlier hit out at the collapse of VBS Mutual Bank but said the EFF had not been mentioned in the Reserve Bank’s report on the money lost, and nor was Shivambu.

He said the EFF had not been able to trace an alleged amount of R1.3 million into its bank account, and neither was there evidence that Shivambu had received R10 million through his brother Brian.

He asked Van Wyk, who was at the press conference, to provide him with categorical evidence that Shivambu had stolen money, for which “he will be punished”.

Van Wyk had initially said on eNCA that Shivambu had received R10 million and that she had bank statements to prove it, before later being criticised for saying “apparently”.

Malema maintained that Shivambu had declared everything about his family and amounts that went between them, and it didn’t come “close” to R10 million. The EFF leader told Van Wyk that if she didn’t feel comfortable sharing her evidence with them, she should at least tell them the dates on which the alleged transactions took place so that they could attempt to verify it.

He criticised an implication that the amounts may have been spaced out over a period of time.

Malema had earlier said: “We have full confidence in our deputy president, Floyd Shivambu. We remain united and unshaken by any and all attempts to slow down or discredit the EFF.”

He said Shivambu had taken the EFF leadership into his confidence in relation to VBS media claims “and we have no reason to doubt him, more so because he is not mentioned in the official Motau VBS report”.

He said they rejected the “witch-hunt and mob justice” that sought to declare people guilty through courts of public opinion.

“The law must take its course and all who are implicated must fully cooperate with law enforcement institutions.”

He said he noted that “several persons mentioned in the report” were challenging the validity and lawfulness of the report on the basis that its chief investigator and author, advocate Terry Motau, had not afforded them the right to “put their side of the story”.

“The enemies of our revolution who wish to see the EFF, which is the only voice of the poor silenced, are seeking to bring both our deputy president and the organisation through a back door into the VBS saga.”

Over the weekend, Shivambu had already responded to the accusations.

In a statement, he categorically denied he received the R10 million, saying that he had no dealings with VBS and any attempts to link him and the EFF with the bank were disingenuous.

“For the record, I have never received R10 million from VBS or anyone in my personal account,” the statement read. “Faceless sources reportedly to be from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), who have ulterior motives, have been misleading journalists and radio presenters with their malicious narrative.

“I have no dealings with VBS and any attempt to link the EFF to the bank for cheap political points is a clear sign of desperation and soon enough people will see through it. The so-called well-placed source in the SARB is a coward and a liar who misled journalists and can’t even reveal their identity,” the statement read. “I have no dealings with VBS.”

Shivambu faced calls to respond to calls he address allegations made against him since Wednesday, when a report commissioned by Treasury called The Great Bank Heist was released. It was compiled by advocate Motau and assisted by Werksmans Attorneys.

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