Minister of Justice Thembi Simelane who allegedly used the VBS loan to purchase a coffee shop in Sandton. Picture: File
The ANC Veterans League is urging President Cyril Ramaphosa to publicly disclose the outcomes of his meeting with Justice Minister Thembi Simelane.
This demand follows allegations that Simelane received a loan exceeding half a million rand in illicit transactions linked to the VBS bank scandal.
ANC head of elections and Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli said that "the ministers are accountable to parliament through the portfolio committee and directly to parliament".
“All of us should be satisfied with the fact that the president has had a meeting with the minister and that the discussion at an appropriate time would be shared by the president and equally with the people of South Africa,” Ntuli said.
He emphasised that Ramaphosa’s decision to meet with Simelane demonstrates his commitment to addressing concerns and ensuring transparency.
“The fact that the president has taken this initiative is indicative that the president is concerned above the reports that have been going around and therefore needed to inform himself directly from the minister about what happened and what is currently happening in the public domain."
He further noted that the ANC does not have a specific clause in the GNU regarding the discipline of executive members, as the president appoints them.
“The president is perfectly capable of ensuring he leads a team of men and women who are beyond reproach and where there are challenges he has the capacity to respond effectively to those challenges,” Ntuli said.
He also addressed concerns about potential ministerial changes, stressing that such decisions should be informed by a thorough understanding of the situation.
Several parties like the ActionSA, Democratic Alliance (DA), Congress of the People (COPE) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are gunning for the removal or resignation of Simelane amid the VBS scandal.
“I don’t think it would be an easy matter like that to let the minister go and let another minister in because as a chief whip of the ANC and as parliament we have not had an opportunity that the president has had to interact with the minister beyond what has been reported in the media, social media, and everywhere else,” he said.
Moreover, Ntuli also criticised ActionSA’s lack of faith in Ramaphosa’s handling of the situation, saying, “It would be uninformed and not appropriate to say because ActionSA does not have complete faith in the president, therefore the president is not capable of handling the matter.”
Ntuli expressed confidence in Ramaphosa's ability to manage the situation effectively.
“I have full confidence in the work that the president is doing in dealing with the matter affecting Minister Simelane and Minister Steenhuisen,” he said.
He also noted the ANC’s concerns with how Steenhuisen has publicly addressed issues related to the department, suggesting that Steenhuisen’s public statements were inconsistent with the objective reality as previously indicated by former Minister now Speaker Thoko Didiza.
This comes after the DA leader claimed there was R500-million missing from the department to revamp a facility that produces vaccines for animals.
“I am quite certain that Ramaphosa has what it takes to ensure he goes deeper and beyond what we can see through the headlines and come to a conclusion in the best interest of our country,” Ntuli said.
Ntuli also acknowledged that investigations into the half-million rand issue have been ongoing since 2014 and stressed the importance of a balanced perspective in evaluating the situation.
“It is not to say the minister is right or wrong; I have not had an opportunity to be exposed to the details of what had happened,” Ntuli said.
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