#StateCaptureInquiry: EFF has its eye on Blade Nzimande

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Johannesburg - The EFF are now targeting SACP general-secretary Blade Nzimande after the party announced its intention to testify at the Zondo commission into state capture. This came as the red berets were responding to allegations of the party’s alleged involvement in the R2billion looting of the VBS Mutual Bank. Malema said the EFF, which campaigned for the removal of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene, would keenly watch Nzimande’s testimony at the commission. “Let Blade Nzimande go to the commission and answer truthfully. That’s what we said to Nhlanhla Nene” Malema said. Malema and the EFF on Tuesday rallied behind their deputy, Floyd Shivambu, saying there was no evidence to warrant action against him.

He slammed the investigator behind the explosive report into VBS, accusing him of implicating people without allowing them to respond.

The fraud scandal implicated Floyd’s brother, Brian.

Malema accused advocate Terry Motau of implicating people in the report he compiled for the SA Reserve Bank’s Prudential Authority without talking to them.

“What makes us more worried is the fact that these people were not spoken to Maybe, if Brian was given an opportunity, Motau would not have even put Brian’s name there,” Malema said.

Brian Shivambu, who was listed among 53 people who allegedly received millions of rand in gratuitous payments, was said to have secured R16million.

Motau could not be reached for comment by deadline.

Floyd Shivambu strongly defended his brother, stressing that the money was for services he rendered for Vele Investments, the majority shareholder of VBS, and that the consultancy services he provided had nothing to do with the bank, but other subsidiaries of the company.

EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu. Picture: Nhlanhla Phillips African News Agency (ANA)

Brian and a number of those implicated, including Vele Investments chief executive Robert Mandzonga, have denied participation in the looting and have announced that they would be taking the report to court for review.

Malema said the party would not hesitate to take action against Shivambu should he be found to have also secured some of the money from his brother, as alleged.

He said the party’s top leadership had ordered him to present bank statements of his personal account, and that it could not see traces of the money.

“There are exchanges of monies from him to Brian (and) from Brian to him, and not only from Brian to him, also to his brother Lucky, to his parents. Give me something. I am not scared of Floyd. I have never been scared of anyone. If Floyd has stolen money, he will be punished accordingly. Give me something that demonstrates that Floyd benefited from the VBS,” he added.

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has promised a detailed response to the VBS fallout in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in Parliament next week.

The SA Revenue Service was also hot on the heels of those who benefited from the VBS looting frenzy, with the service’s acting boss Mark Kingon telling MPs they were also investigating if those people involved declared their taxes.

Kingon told the standing committee on finance on Tuesday he wanted his “pound of flesh” from those who wrongly benefited from VBS.

“On VBS, we are going to have a lot to say next week in the MTBPS,” said Mboweni.

* Read more on the #StateCaptureInquiry here.

Political Bureau