VBS-linked Justice Minister Thembi Simelane has submitted a report to President Cyril Ramaphosa which he said he is looking into.
President Cyril Ramaphosa told Parliament he has received Minister of Justice Thembi Simelane’s report on her dealings with the Venda Burial Society (VBS) Mutual Bank. When pressed whether he would remove her, he responded he was “giving consideration” to the matter.
Opposition parties grilled the president on Simelane’s dealings with the now-defunct VBS in Parliament on Thursday.
Simelane received a loan of over R500 000 from the bank. However, parliamentarians say they are still not satisfied with the information that she gave concerning the transaction.
Even though Simelane said she had paid the money back, Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentarian Glynnis Breytenbach posed a written question to the president asking him how he will ensure members of his cabinet like Simelane act in an ethical manner that is aligned to building a capable state.
Ramaphosa says Simelane must follow code of ethics
Ramaphosa referred to the Executive Members’ Ethics Act of 1998 which provides a legislative basis for the promotion of ethical conduct by all members of the executive.
The law makes provision for a code of ethics.
“The Executive Ethics Code, which was promulgated on 28 July 2000, says that members must – to the satisfaction of the President or premier – perform their duties and exercise their powers diligently and honestly. It requires that they act in all respects in a manner that is consistent with the integrity of their office.
He said the code tells members they may not use their position to enrich themselves or improperly benefit another person.
“To promote transparency and accountability, every member must disclose to the Secretary of Cabinet – on an annual basis – their financial interests and those of their spouses, permanent companions or dependent children.
“To provide an additional layer of assurance, the Act requires the Public Protector to investigate any alleged breach of the code of ethics on receipt of a complaint by the President or a Member of Parliament (MP).”
The President said this establishes a “robust mechanism” to ensure members uphold ethical standards.
He said he had made it clear to the executive they are expected to meet the standards established in the code.
ALSO READ: DA calls on Ramaphosa to ‘break silence’ on Simelane’s VBS loan scandal
‘Glaring conflict of interest’
Breytenbach, in her supplementary question, said the matter raises serious questions about the integrity of Simelane’s financial dealings and her “glaring conflict of interest” with “startling contradictions in the dodgy loan agreement”.
The MP asked if the President would remove Simelane from office and make the findings of the African National Congress’ Integrity Commission review on her public.
This is especially as the Financial Sector Conduct Authority debarred and banned Simelane’s financial advisor for his part in the debacle on Wednesday.
In response, Ramaphosa said Simelane had submitted a report to him about “exactly what has happened”.
“That is a matter that I am giving consideration to,” Ramaphosa said regarding the minister’s removal.
In an interview with The Citizen on Wednesday, ActionSA’s Athol Trollip said he believed that the president had been slow in taking action against Simelane.
“If I was the President, I would have dismissed her,” he said. “There has been enough time to make a full disclosure.”
ALSO READ: Simelane under investigation over VBS ‘loan’? – Hawks refuse to confirm
Watch the National Assembly Plenary below:
Additional reporting by Itumeleng Mafisa.
