ANC members implicated in VBS saga back at work
"The PEC accepts the decision of the NEC and welcomes the two comrades to continue from where they left off. This will help to further the mandate of the last provincial conference where these comrades were elected with the entire collective."
BURGERSFORT – Two ANC officials implicated in the looting of the VBS Mutual Bank were reinstated to their positions last week. The Limpopo ANC has confirmed that its treasurer, Danny Msiza, and deputy chairperson, Florence Radzilani, are back at work.
The ruling party released a statement on Tuesday. It welcomed back both Msiza and Radzilani to the provincial executive committee (PEC).
“In a special provincial executive committee meeting held virtually on Tuesday, the provincial leadership received a report from the national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC on the decision to allow the deputy provincial chairperson (Radzilane) and provincial treasurer (Msiza) to resume their duties,” the statement read. According to the statement, the NEC embarked on a process of consultations with various stakeholders in the province before implementing the decision. “The PEC accepts the decision of the NEC and welcomes the two comrades to continue from where they left off. This will help to further the mandate of the last provincial conference where these comrades were elected with the entire collective.” “Their resumption of duties and responsibilities will, to a large measure, assist in our efforts to bring about stability in the ANC in the province,” said ANC Limpopo’s provincial secretary, Soviet Lekganyane.
He added that both Msiza and Radzilani recommitted themselves to serve the organisation and people of the province with utmost humility.
“The ANC in the province will continue with its programme to build a strong, united and vibrant organisation with renewed focus and vigour to realise the dream of a better life for all,” he added.
In a forensic report, The Great Bank Heist, Adv Terry Motau and law firm, Werksmans established that Msiza was the alleged “taskmaster” in the VBS Mutual Bank municipal commissions scam. Msiza allegedly used his political influence as the provincial treasurer to pressure municipal members into investing in VBS.
Msiza was found to be the alleged link between the bank and the municipalities. He was allegedly compensated for the deals he struck between the two entities.
Radzilani, the former Vhembe mayor, was exposed for allegedly being in contradiction of the Municipal Finance Management Act. She allegedly made investments, on behalf of Vhembe Local Municipality, in VBS. In exchange for their cooperation, municipal officials were allegedly rewarded. The two were suspended by the Limpopo ANC in 2018 when Motau’s report implicated them for their alleged roles in the collapse of the bank, that saw over R2 billion of poor people’s savings lost.
Eight Limpopo municipalities lost more than R1,2 billion in the VBS scandal.
Thousands of residents in the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) have been without electricity after a multi-million rand electrification project, Operation Mabone, was stalled.
FTLM invested more than R240 million into VBS.
Other municipalities that invested with the bank were Ephraim Mogale (which lost R124 million), Elias Motsoaledi (R190 million) and Lepelle-Nkumpi in Lebowakgomo (R150 million).
