Cape Town – Former public protector Thuli Madonsela has defended Justice Minister Thembi Simelane amidst criticism over her involvement in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal.
The controversy surrounds a loan Simelane allegedly received from Gundo Wealth Solutions during her tenure as mayor of Polokwane, amidst allegations of municipal funds being unlawfully deposited in VBS.
Madonsela urged for restraint and adherence to due process, cautioning against assuming corruption before a legal investigation is completed.
She criticised media coverage for lacking direct evidence linking Simelane to unlawful transactions with VBS, emphasising the importance of legal standards in allegations.
I love your work dearly Pauli and have ernomous respect for your rigour and courage.
However, before we assume corruption, let’s wait for a legal investigation. Journalists do amazing work but the standard they use for connecting dots is lower than the legal standard.If the…
— Prof Thuli Madonsela #KindnessBuilds (@ThuliMadonsela3) August 28, 2024
“Journalists do amazing work but the standard they use for connecting dots is lower than the legal standard. If the legal standard were the same, I would have found [EFF leader Julius] Malema guilty of corruption for receiving the proceeds of corruption in [her 2016 report] ‘On the Point of Tenders’ and [former] president [Jacob] Zuma in the Nkandla matter,” she said.
Madonsela spoke about the importance of solid legal evidence when addressing corruption allegations, drawing from her own experience with fund abuse at Sassa.
“I had similar challenges in abuse of funds at Sassa. But I had to go with legally admissible evidence and acknowledge they benefitted without finding them personally guilty of corruption. In this case, there is no information on the nexus,” she said.
She argued that the media coverage of the accusations against Simelane lacked direct evidence of her involvement in the VBS transactions.
Madonsela cautioned against rushing to judgment without concrete proof, stressing that accusations should be based on legally admissible evidence.
“The article tells us nothing regarding the then mayor’s personal involvement in the VBS transactions nor provides any evidence, documentary or viva voce, that points to the mayor having activated/facilitated the transaction or rewarded for her part. I hold no brief for her. I don’t know her personally. But let us not get hyped and condemn without evidence.”
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
