DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach has laid criminal charges against human settlements minister Thembi Simelane over allegations she was part of defrauding Eskom.
A News24 report alleged Simelane was paid more than R700,000 by her former employer Vitrovian, which was hired to quell protests over jobs at the Kusile power station site. The company is alleged to have defrauded the power utility when charging for the service. Simelane has denied any acts of corruption.
Simelane is no stranger to scandal, having been reported to have benefited from corruption involving the defunct VBS Mutual Bank.
On Wednesday Breytenbach said the DA is confident an investigation by SAPS will get to the bottom of the allegations.
“Eskom is reported to have used Vitrovian, a consulting firm, to suppress protests at the Kusile power plant during its construction. Vitrovian’s charges to Eskom appear ridiculously inflated and Eskom was allegedly invoiced by Vitrovian for work done by employees who did not exist. Simelane’s signature [allegedly] appears on the first of these fraudulent invoices, directly implicating her in the scandal,” she said.
Breytenbach accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of repeatedly refusing to disclose the content of Simelane’s report to him on these allegations, despite several requests by the DA.
“The president’s continued protection of Simelane raises serious questions about his ability and willingness to root out corruption at the highest level. President Ramaphosa is allowing a culture of impunity among ANC ministers implicated in corruption and if he fails to remove Simelane he will become complicit in the corruption he says he is intent on fighting.
“We trust the SAPS will launch a full investigation into Simelane and her [alleged] involvement in this corruption scandal. The DA is determined to purge this government of its corrupt officials, with or without the help of the president, and we await the outcome of the investigation,” she said.
This comes as the DA and ANC have been making attempts to repair relations after the budget deadlock. Some ANC leaders have called for punitive measures against the DA, calling for Ramaphosa to reshuffle his cabinet and axe some DA ministers for going against the president.
However, the DA has called out the ANC for its failure to hold its ministers accountable.
Simelane was previously reshuffled from justice minister after the allegations of corruption related to VBS Mutual Bank. She is considered one of the powerful ministers in the ANC, occupying positions in its national executive committee and national working committee.
TimesLIVE
DA lays criminal charges against Simelane, calls out Ramaphosa for failing to hold ANC ministers to account
Image: Freddy Mavunda
DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach has laid criminal charges against human settlements minister Thembi Simelane over allegations she was part of defrauding Eskom.
A News24 report alleged Simelane was paid more than R700,000 by her former employer Vitrovian, which was hired to quell protests over jobs at the Kusile power station site. The company is alleged to have defrauded the power utility when charging for the service. Simelane has denied any acts of corruption.
Simelane is no stranger to scandal, having been reported to have benefited from corruption involving the defunct VBS Mutual Bank.
On Wednesday Breytenbach said the DA is confident an investigation by SAPS will get to the bottom of the allegations.
“Eskom is reported to have used Vitrovian, a consulting firm, to suppress protests at the Kusile power plant during its construction. Vitrovian’s charges to Eskom appear ridiculously inflated and Eskom was allegedly invoiced by Vitrovian for work done by employees who did not exist. Simelane’s signature [allegedly] appears on the first of these fraudulent invoices, directly implicating her in the scandal,” she said.
Breytenbach accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of repeatedly refusing to disclose the content of Simelane’s report to him on these allegations, despite several requests by the DA.
“The president’s continued protection of Simelane raises serious questions about his ability and willingness to root out corruption at the highest level. President Ramaphosa is allowing a culture of impunity among ANC ministers implicated in corruption and if he fails to remove Simelane he will become complicit in the corruption he says he is intent on fighting.
“We trust the SAPS will launch a full investigation into Simelane and her [alleged] involvement in this corruption scandal. The DA is determined to purge this government of its corrupt officials, with or without the help of the president, and we await the outcome of the investigation,” she said.
This comes as the DA and ANC have been making attempts to repair relations after the budget deadlock. Some ANC leaders have called for punitive measures against the DA, calling for Ramaphosa to reshuffle his cabinet and axe some DA ministers for going against the president.
However, the DA has called out the ANC for its failure to hold its ministers accountable.
Simelane was previously reshuffled from justice minister after the allegations of corruption related to VBS Mutual Bank. She is considered one of the powerful ministers in the ANC, occupying positions in its national executive committee and national working committee.
TimesLIVE
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