ActionSA lays criminal complaints against justice minister Simelane over VBS Mutual Bank

ActionSA has laid a criminal complaint against justice minister Thembi Simelane over an almost R600,000 loan she acquired from Gundo Wealth Solutions during her tenure as mayor of Polokwane.

Parliamentary caucus leader Athol Trollip said the charges are for alleged “violations of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act as well as the common law crime of forgery in connection with the dodgy R575,600.00 so-called 'loan' she solicited from Gundo Wealth Solutions”.

Simelane reportedly received a loan of R575,600 from Gundo Wealth Solutions in 2016. The company is understood to have been a third-party broker involved in alleged dodgy dealings with the VBS Mutual Bank.

“This follows revelations that the loan agreement, which she refused to provide to parliament’s justice portfolio committee during her appearance, may be a forgery, as the documents appear to have been created after the agreement was concluded in an attempt to legitimise an allegedly unlawful transaction,” said Trollip. 

“ActionSA has taken this step after numerous appeals for accountability to the president, the speaker of parliament, and the public protector, all of whom appear unwilling to hold the minister accountable for what are egregious allegations with serious implications for the vital role she plays in maintaining the integrity of our justice system.”

In the absence of any appetite for commensurate action from the president, public protector, and the speaker, ActionSA has been forced to embark on another step in its fight to ensure the minister is held accountable. 

“Given the weight of the allegations surrounding the potentially corrupt transactions, the serious implications if the minister is found guilty and the potential effect on her continued leadership of South Africa's justice system, ActionSA believes accountability cannot be delayed any further,” said Trollip.

“ActionSA reiterates our call for the president to suspend the minister pending the outcome of any ongoing investigations — or alternatively the minister should do the honourable thing and step aside if she has any respect for the office she holds, as her continued tenure as head of the justice system is untenable.”

TimesLIVE