Thembi Simelane gave full account to Mbalula's office on VBS corruption allegations - ANC

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) says Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Thembi Simelane has given a full account to the party’s secretary general’s office on allegations she benefited from the VBS bank heist. 

News publication Daily Maverick recently reported Simelane funnelled hundreds of millions of government money into the now defunct bank when she was Polokwane mayor. 

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It's alleged some of the money made it through to a wealth management fund that gave Simelane a loan of R475,000 she used to buy a coffee shop in Sandton. 

At this stage, it is still unclear whether Simelane paid back the loan she received from Gundo Wealth Solutions. 

In a media briefing on Monday, ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said he had spoken to Simelane about the allegations facing her. 

 “I will report to the officials about what she said. Of course, besides that, we have checks and balances. She will go to the [ANC’s] integrity commission, having evaluated what she said to them and based on the facts before them, what would they advise.”

Mbalula said Simelane had also responded to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s request for a meeting to explain herself. 

Simelane is due to publicly address these allegations for the first time on Friday when she appears before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development.