A formal complaint against President Cyril Ramaphosa has been lodged at the office of the Public Protector for their handling of a loan between Minister Thembi Simelane and Gundo Wealth Solutions.
In a letter dated October 14, 2024, the complainant Elias Muller asked the Public Protector advocate Kholeka Gcaleka to investigate whether Ramaphosa acted dishonestly and pretended not to know when he requested a report from Simelane about her R575 600 loan from corruption-accused Gundo Wealth Solutions before appointing her to his executive.
This comes after media reports that Simelane was allegedly bullied by the Presidency into issuing a press statement denying that she told the ANC Integrity Commission that Ramaphosa knew about the loan before appointing her as a deputy minister in August 2021.
Muller stated in his complaint that the allegations of bullying of Simelane by the Presidency should not be ignored.
“In a nutshell, the Presidency stands accused of having bullied Honourable Minister Simelane to act improperly and dishonestly and lie to the public.
“I have noted that the article acknowledges that it is not clear if the Honourable President was aware of Minister Simelane's bullying by the Presidency or not. After the revelations of a loan by Minister Simelane were recently reported in the media, the President was later reported to have requested a report from the Honourable Minister Simelane on the loan between herself and Gundo Wealth Solutions.
“What the minister disclosed to the ANC Integrity Commission suggests that the President might have been dishonest to the public when he purported to have requested a report on a matter that was long brought to his attention.
“The President created the impression of someone unaware of the loan that the minister had previously taken. However, he stands accused of knowledge of the loan, long before it was recently reported by several media houses.
“I request the PPSA to kindly investigate the following issues below and any other matter related to this complaint,” wrote Muller.
He asked Gcaleka to investigate whether Simelane was bullied by anyone from the Presidency and the media statement denying that she had told the ANC Integrity Commission that the President knew about the loan in question.
He also asked the media statement issued by Simelane to be investigated to determine whether she intentionally aimed to mislead the public.
Lastly, he requested an investigation to check if Ramaphosa was aware of the alleged bullying of a minister by his office or some people within the Presidency.
According to media reports, during her tenure as Polokwane Executive Mayor in Limpopo, Simelane pocketed a “loan” of R575 600 from Gundo Wealth Solutions, which was allegedly used to buy a coffee shop in Sandton.
The allegedly corrupt investment broking was owned by Ralliom Razwinane, who is currently on trial for fraud, corruption, and money laundering related to his role in facilitating connections and dodgy investments between several municipalities and the VBS Mutual Bank.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) is investigating charges laid by ActionSA against Simelane in connection with corruption and forgery.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the matter was receiving attention and that the Presidency was confident her department was unaffected by the saga.
Researcher, policy analyst, and human rights activist Nkosikhulile Nyembezi said there was no justification for allowing more time to the crisis.
“While a minister of justice does not make prosecutorial decisions or legal findings as the NPA and judges do, it is a position that still holds immense political power.
“The president underestimates the public’s post-election tack towards transparency and accountability in government. The country is looking for politicians with the courage and the right ideas to widen their horizons. We are yet to confirm their existence in the current leadership,” he wrote in the Cape Times.
Nyembezi felt that public trust in Ramaphosa was eroding as he appealed for “more time” to decide whether to act against Justice Minister Thembi Simelane over her loan.
The ANC’s step-aside rule seemed to have been ignored amid calls for Simelane to step aside.
Meanwhile, calls have been growing in South Africa for Simelane to fall on her sword, following revelations of her alleged involvement in the grand looting of the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank.
Parties, including ActionSA and the DA, have called on the ANC to release Simelane from her duties, with ActionSA laying charges of corruption against Simelane in Polokwane.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za