Publications
Partners
R703 500 was used to transport 640 members to conference – court papers
New details have emerged showing that the looting of almost R2 billion of poor people’s money invested in the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank was allegedly used to hire buses to transport ANC delegates from Limpopo to the party’s national conference in Nasrec, southern Johannesburg, last year.
This is contained in court papers filed last week with the Pretoria High Court by Terry Motau, SC, the lead investigator of the explosive report on VBS, titled The Great Bank Heist.
Motau’s answering papers reveal that the ANC’s Limpopo treasurer, Danny Msiza, who stepped down from his position last week, was allegedly involved in paying R703 500 from VBS to hire buses to transport the ANC members.
Msiza has filed an application challenging the outcome of Motau’s initial report.
“A quotation was obtained by an ANC official, Imtyaaz Mohamed, who emailed it to [Phophi] Mukhodobwane, [former VBS treasurer], copied to Msiza, requesting payment. Mukhodobwane instructed his staff at VBS to please debit Robvet and settle the attached invoice,” reads the affidavit.
Motau’s investigation found that the Robvet account was a money-laundering account used by VBS and Vele Investments, the former chairperson of which, Tshifhiwa Matodzi, is the central figure in the VBS scandal.
About 640 ANC delegates from Limpopo’s regions – Mopani, Capricorn, Sekhukhune, Vhembe and Waterberg – were fetched by buses paid for with VBS money on December 15 last year to attend the party’s national conference.
Mohamed declined to comment.
ANC provincial spokesperson Donald Selamolela said: “We treat that case as sub judice. The merit of the report is still going to be contested in court.”
Msiza was not available for comment before the time of publication.
Motau says in court papers that Msiza was one of former Limpopo ANC Youth League leader Kabelo Matsepe’s WhatsApp contacts.
The court papers say WhatsApp messages between Matsepe and Mukhodobwane demonstrate that Msiza had a financial interest in Moshate Investments, a company owned by Matsepe.
“These messages also reveal the applicant’s involvement in VBS dealings with municipalities and municipal officials.”
The court papers further reveal that Msiza benefited substantially from his relationship with Matsepe and his company, Moshate Investments.
A WhatsApp message from Msiza to Matsepe on September 19 last year says: “Can u please talk to VBS to take us serious the institution is waiting for a quotation for the pension fund of all employees and councillors it’s council resolution.”
Motau filed papers in response to a bid by Msiza to have some parts of The Great Bank Heist report findings expunged.
In October Msiza filed an affidavit in the Pretoria High Court arguing that Motau had attacked his integrity as a political figure, businessperson and family man, when he referred to him as the kingpin in his report and when he found that Matsepe, who was named in the VBS report as having received a gratuitous payment, worked for him.
The ANC said last week that Msiza had stepped down from his position as Limpopo treasurer, but had not necessarily resigned.
