Twitter ‘bored’ as Malema accused of using VBS money to buy R5m house

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has once again been connected to the looting of VBS Bank in the media.

The Sunday Times lead story today looks at how money was allegedly channelled into accounts linked to Malema, and used to bankroll a luxury home in one of Johannesburg’s wealthiest suburbs, Sandown, for which the EFF leader has a R5.5 million bond with Absa.

It can be read here.

On Twitter however, it seems EFF VBS fatigue has set in, with most reactions to the story expressing boredom.

Malema himself reacted by retweeting a couple of people who accuse the story of being “trashy” and an example of “Stratcom’s lies”.

The Sunday Times lead story is itself a follow up of a story last month looking at a slush fund Malema allegedly used, linked to the company Santaclara Trading, with this Sunday’s story showing where those funds went.

A month before this, Daily Maverick published the latest in a series of stories by Pauli van Wyk on how the EFF, Malema and his second-in-command Floyd Shivambu are believed to have benefited from the looting of the bank.

READ MORE: ‘The Great Bank Heist’ report reveals wide-scale looting at VBS – report

A series of stories on Shivambu’s part in the scandal, the so-far two part Chronicles of Grand Azania, is the latest in a series of investigations which began in October last year.

The Mail & Guardian and investigative reporting unit amaBhungane have also done their own reports connected EFF to VBS.

Shortly before this, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) report which first propelled the looting of VBS Bank into the spotlight was released.

Written by Advocate Terry Motau and law firm Werksmans, the report, titled The Great Bank Heist, put the total number stolen from the bank at R1.89 billion, and recommended that more than 50 individuals be criminally charged and held liable in civil proceedings.

One of those individuals was Floyd’s brother Brian Shivambu, which led to the many investigative reports in the media. The party has been accused of receiving R16 million from the bank.

EFF supporters have reacted by expressing the view that this is just a drop in the ocean compared to the full amount looted, accusing the media of targeting the party specifically.

There have, however, been numerous media reports on the looting of VBS which do not focus on the EFF, including Pauli van Wyk’s latest looking at the VBS bank managers who allegedly facilitated the theft – former VBS chair Tshifiwa Matodzi, former CEO Andile Ramavhunga, former CFO Phillip Truter, former head of treasury Phophi Mukhodobwane and former group executive of Vele Investments Robert Madzonga.

The issue of VBS is boring…try something like Malema stole shivambu’s beret

— mokgotsi (@mokgotsi11) November 24, 2019

https://twitter.com/Drluv770z/status/1198491741042675712

So every Sunday will read about VBS and Julius Malema on Sunday times????? It boring now.

— Thulani nomafu (@nomafu_thulani) November 24, 2019

As we continue crying over 2 billion while 200 billion loss no one is yet to be seen accountable yes crime is crime but give them the same attention like u do VBS e ya bo malema

— Another Koketso (@kokififty5) November 24, 2019

Every Sunday Malema is trending here and the Sunday Times story is always the same:

"There was a company who received money from VBS who was potentially linked to another entity/trust/account who was potentially linked to Malema and those funds were potentially used by Malema".

— Sharné Zoë (@Zoe_SZi) November 24, 2019

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.