Minister of Justice Thembi Simelane was allegedly bullied by the Presidency into issuing a press statement denying that she told the ANC integrity commission that President Cyril Ramaphosa knew about her R575 600 loan from corruption-accused Gundo Wealth Solutions before appointing her to his executive.
Three government insiders with intimate knowledge of what happened, have alleged that the bullying came from the Presidency after Sunday World published the story of Simelane’s shocking submission to the commission.
According to one of our moles who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals, Simelane was in church when the first call came in, allegedly interrupting her prayer service, and was instructed to deny telling the integrity commission that Ramaphosa knew about the controversial loan before appointing her as a deputy minister in August 2021.
“It’s unclear whether the president knew or didn’t know what his office was doing to Simelane.”
It is alleged that Simelane begrudgingly agreed to issue a statement after succumbing to the pressure to do so.
She then instructed her communication team to issue a media statement denying that she told the commission that Ramaphosa knew about the loan before her appointment as deputy minister of cooperative government and traditional affairs.
Another source added that the Presidency rejected drafts of at least four press statements that were prepared by Simelane’s office on the subject. The insiders explained, “We suspect that someone from the Presidency wrote and forced Simelane to release the final press statement on the letterhead of the department.”
The press statement, which was released on Sunday night, stated that the Sunday World article stating that Sime-lane told the integrity commission that she “took the president into her confidence about her loan with Gundo Wealth Solutions is devoid of truthfulness and carries misleading messages that are not fair to the minister and the president”.
But the ill-conceived damage control strategy has backfired badly because Sunday World was in possession of an audio clip in which Sime-lane could be heard, while giving testimony, stating that Ramaphosa questioned her about the loan and she proffered him an
explanation.
In the audio clip, James Ngculu, one of the integrity commission members, could be heard questioning Simelane about whether she had informed the president about her role in the VBS scandal prior to her appointment as deputy minister (in August 2021).
Ngculu asked: “By the time you became a deputy minister you were aware of the events involving you in particular and involving the municipality you were a mayor in regard to VBS. So when you were then appointed as a deputy minister, did you alert the president that they maybe this cloud hanging over me, did you find time to alert the president about this?”
Simelane responded by saying she had informed Ramaphosa about it.
Another ANC integrity commission member, Jenny Schreiber, then asked Simelane why she didn’t inform the portfolio committee in parliament, which had grilled her about the matter, that the president was aware of her loan.
“When you were with the portfolio committee, the portfolio committee asked you if you have raised these issues with the president. My recollection was that you said you raised other issues with the president but you didn’t raise this one. Given what you are saying now, why you didn’t clarify that you did raise the issue of the loan with Gundo Wealth with the president previously when you were appointed deputy minister?”
Simelane replied by saying that she might not remember exactly what she told the portfolio committee, but she didn’t mislead it, and repeated that Ramaphosa was aware of her loan before appointing her.
In the same audio clip, Sime-la-ne could also be heard informing the integrity commission that Ramaphosa was initially informed about the matter by ANC provincial chairperson and former premier Stan Mathabatha. This was after Ramaphosa phoned Mathabatha to discuss his plans to appoint her as deputy minister.
“Yes, the issues were raised with the president. Both by the chairperson, comrade Chupu [Mathabatha] and when I got that opportunity to meet (with the president), he enquired.”
Simelane told the integrity commission that Ramaphosa had also questioned her about the matter during their face-to-face meeting prior to her appointment.
Simelane could also be heard informing the integrity commission that the issue about her loan with Gundo Wealth Solutions has been rehearsed and used as a weapon against her because she had refused to hand over Zondo commission records to the Investigative Directorate (ID) without following proper process.
Simelane is apparently uncomfortable that former Zondo commission evidence leaders, Advocate Matthew Chaskalson and Advocate Paul Pretorius, have been appointed by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) as consultants, and it is believed they are going to be custodians of the files.
Sources close to Simelane claim the justice minister received questions from the media about her 2017 loan with Gundo Wealth Solutions hours after she met with NPA leadership, where she allegedly refused to hand over Zondo commission files.
In 2018, the ANC in Limpopo dismissed seven mayors implicated in the VBS scandal.
Simelane evaded dismissal and received an order to study public finance management, which she complied with.
She faces allegations of receiving gratuitous payments from Gundo Wealth Solutions, which had advised her municipality to invest in VBS.
She claims the money was a loan for a coffee shop and she paid it back in full with interests in 2021. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said they would not comment on allegations from faceless sources. “If the minister felt bullied by anybody, she can speak for herself and raise the matter directly with the president,” he said.
