Parly justice committee considers its probe into Simelane's VBS-linked loan closed

CAPE TOWN - Parliament's justice committee considers as closed its investigation into former justice minister Thembi Simelane's dubious VBS-linked loan. 

Chairperson Xola Nqola said the committee's job was purely to investigate whether there was a conflict of interest in terms of the minister's responsibility over the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

Simelane was shifted to the human settlements department in December despite calls from opposition parties for President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire her.

Parliament's justice committee was the first platform before which Simelane appeared last September following investigative media reports about a loan she received to buy a coffee shop, through a middleman, linked to the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank.

Nqola said Parliament's legal unit provided the advice requested on whether the committee could demand confidential documents from Simelane to verify her version of events. 

"We can handle the personal information of the minister, only the information that relates to the accusation, but only in the form of a closed session, if it's necessary."

But Simelane has since been redeployed and the matter no longer concerns the committee.

"Our job is not to get any satisfaction from any point of appointment, but we respect the constitutional espoused prerogative of the president to appoint any member of the Cabinet."

New Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi is yet to appear before the committee since taking over the portfolio.