Cape Town – ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula says the decision on Thembi Simelane’s position as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development rests with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Simelane faces corruption allegations after receiving R500,000 from a broker involved with VBS loans.
Mbalula said that Simelane will be referred to the ANC’s integrity commission, but her continuation in the cabinet will ultimately be determined by the president.
“So in as far as how she is affected by the debacle in relation to her responsibilities as a minister, playing an executive role in terms of the cabinet of the country, that is the prerogative of the president to deal with. Whether or not this minister is fit, given the report that is on the table, to continue,” SABC News quoted Mbalula as saying during a media briefing in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni on Monday.
The minister appeared before the Justice Portfolio Committee and denied having any improper relations with the contractor or receiving any financial benefits, Newzroom Afrika reported.
“I did not have any improper relationship with the contractor appointed by the municipality, and let me give the context to this assertion,” she said.
[WATCH] Minister Thembi Simelane is appearing before the Justice Portfolio Committee to give some answers on the loan she received from a company linked to the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank. She says she had no improper relationship with the contractor appointed by the Polokwane… pic.twitter.com/n7Ka3WwaW8
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) September 6, 2024
She explained why Gundo was appointed as the financial advisor on the investment decision of the municipality.
“Mayors, or councillors, are never involved in procurement. So the work of appointment of a service provider is the work of the executives in the municipality,” she said.
Despite her claims, opposition parties, including the Freedom Front Plus, the Democratic Alliance, and ActionSA, have called for her suspension, citing a conflict of interest given her oversight of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which is investigating the VBS scandal, Mail&Guardian reported.
ActionSA has lodged a complaint with the public protector and requested an independent investigation, arguing that Simelane’s role as justice minister is untenable until the allegations are resolved.
Mbalula maintained that the ANC will adhere to its internal processes and await the integrity commission’s recommendations, without acting prematurely.
“We do not want to prejudice any individuals so we follow the processes of the organisation that we have set in motion,” said Mbalula.
“What an individual does in the public domain to clear herself in terms of engagement, that is her own call. She is doing it on her own behalf and it is not an ANC mandate.”
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