Criminal investigation against Thembi Simelane underway, says DA

The DA says a criminal investigation against Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane is currently underway, and a South African Police Service (Saps) investigating officer has been assigned to investigate the complaint against her.

Investigation

DA spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional Development Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach said Simelane is “yet another ANC minister in the national executive of President Cyril Ramaphosa under investigation for a serious crime.”

“The DA had previously laid charges of corruption against Simelane, alleging theft of more than R700,000 by fraudulently billing Eskom when she worked for Vitrovian. 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 appeared to have been severely inflated, and Eskom was allegedly invoiced by Vitrovian for work done by employees that did not exist. Simelane’s signature appears on the very first of these fraudulent invoices, directly implicating her in the scandal,” Breytenbach said.

The Citizen has contacted Simelane’s office for comment. This will be added to the article once received.

ALSO READ: DA submits PAIA request for Simelane’s VBS report to Ramaphosa

Claims denied

In March 2025, Simelane dismissed these claims, saying she viewed them as a “desperate attempt to draw her name in controversies for sensationalisation.”

“The office of the minister can confirm that the minister was an employee of Vitrovian in 2011 as a Project Director for seven months and was remunerated for the work she performed for the period she stayed at Vitrovian until she left.

“Notably, the minister can categorically state that she was not responsible for the contractual obligations of Vitrovian, and it is malicious to paint a picture that she might have been involved in any alleged activities or operations of price inflation as a mere employee of the company,” Simelane’s office said.

Cabinet reshuffle

Simelane also faced serious criminal allegations for involvement in the looting of VBS Bank while she was the executive mayor of Polokwane.

In December last year, Ramaphosa redeployed Simelane in a Cabinet reshuffle from the Justice and Constitutional Development cluster Ministry to Human Settlements.

Swapping portfolios, Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi took over Simelane’s spot as Justice and Constitutional Development Minister.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa owes nation explanation why Simelane still in Cabinet – Casac [VIDEO]

VBS scandal

Ramaphosa’s decision to reshuffle Simelane came as she faced severe criticism over a R575 600 “commercial loan” she received from Gundo Wealth Solutions, a company accused of brokering unlawful investments of R349 million by the Polokwane Municipality into the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank.

Simelane used the “commercial loan” from Gundo Wealth Solutions, owned by Ralliom Razwinane, to purchase a coffee shop in Sandton.

She vehemently denied wrongdoing, asserting that she handled everything transparently and repaid the loan in full.

In September 2024, Ramaphosa vowed not to sweep the allegations against Simelane, related to the VBS bank scandal, under the carpet.

DA ‘confident’

Breytenbach said the DA is confident that the Saps will conduct a “thorough investigation into these serious allegations”.

The DA has for a long time now called for President Ramaphosa to remove Minister Thembi Simelane from the national executive, along with all ANC ministers and ANC deputy ministers, under the cloud of corruption.

Breytenbach said it is time for Ramaphosa to act against “ANC corruption”.

ALSO READ: VBS Bank: ‘Let us not condemn without evidence,’ says Madonsela