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EFF leader Julius Malema addresses a media briefing on the eve of the first sitting of the National Assembly in Cape Town on Thursday, 13 June 2024. Photo by Leslely Piet/SNL24
CONVICTED VBS ex-boss Tshifhiwa Matodzi has made explosive allegations against EFF leaders.
This week, Matodzi was sentenced to 495 years after pleading guilty to 33 counts which include corruption, theft, fraud, money laundering, and a pattern of racketeering activities that ended in the VBS Mutual Bank’s downfall.
The North Gauteng High Court ordered the sentences for counts two to 33 to run concurrently with count one, consequently, Matodzi will serve an effective 15-year imprisonment.
He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
JUST IN:
Explosive evidence by Tshifhiwa Matodzi in an affidavit he signed directly implicates the EFF’s Floyd Shivambu and Julius Malema in the VBS corruption scandal. This is the first time direct evidence has surfaced about the scandal. pic.twitter.com/blOZzR4ZTA
— Ismail Abramjee (@IsmailAbramjee) July 11, 2024He pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement to his role in the R2 billion looting scheme that destroyed the mutual bank, his witness affidavit statement has been leaked.
In his court affidavit, Matodzi implicated EFF leaders Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu of being bribed by the bank, to stop talking about the VBS loan given to former president Jacob Zuma in the media.
He further alleged that he went to meet the leaders in Sandton, north of Joburg, and it was agreed that the bank would pay R5 million once-off and later R1 million monthly as donations.
According to the affidavit, the money was paid to another company called Sqameka owned by Brain Shivambu, a brother to Floyd Shivambu.
“The company was provided to me by Floyd to make payments that I promised to the EFF. I made this promise following news which had broken in the media that VBS had granted former president Zuma a home loan for his Nkandla residence, negative publicity arose in the country. Particularly, from those opposed to Zuma at the time. Among those was the EFF,” the affidavit reads.
Matodzi said that the EFF had started a campaign of mentioning VBS in its political rallies through its president Julius Malema, as chairman of VBS. He then decided that Malema and the EFF should be approached for VBS to explain its position and how the loan was granted.
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The affidavit also read: “I explained VBS’s position and the fact that the EFF’s negative commentary about the VBS/Zuma transaction was damaging VBS’s reputation. Furthermore, I explained that as black brothers, the EFF’s constituencies were VBS’s target market also. I further informed them that VBS was willing to offer immediately once a bank account has been opened at VBS and R1 million per month to the EFF.”
“Floyd and I remained in contact, at some stage Floyd indicated that they have opened an account at VBS in the name of a company called Sgameka. A transfer of R5 million as promised was made on my instructions from Malibongwe to Sgameka on 8 June 2017. Subsequent payments were made to Sgameka’s VBS account every month and were paid from Vele or any of Vele’s subsidiaries,” further read the statement.
Julius Malema clarifying how he got to know about the VBS chairperson Matodzi. Is this an attempt to character assassinate black leaders using unfounded allegations? pic.twitter.com/YRlZGB3tgz
— The general (@Collen82241585) July 12, 2024Responding to the allegations, Malema took to X and said for any enquiries people should refer to the archives.
Previously when the VBS allegations were brought to light, Malema and Shivambu stressed their innocence on the matter.
Malema once claimed that there’s nothing that implicates them.
“Why are we not arrested? Why are we not charged, if these allegations are legitimate? Why would a company implicated in a report of corruption and fraud not be charged?” said Malema during a media briefing in 2020.
Meanwhile, last year Parliament’s joint committee on ethics and members’ interests found EFF deputy president Shivambu guilty of breaching the MPs’ code of ethical conduct and disclosure of members interests by failing to disclose the R180 000 of VBS Mutual Bank money he received.
The committee found that R180 000 was paid to him in 2017 by Sgameka.
EFF national spokeswoman Leigh-Ann Mathys said there is no change to our statements and position when it comes to VBS.
“There are endless archives to this matter, if you want a response please refer to them,” she said.
She also requested that the same energy being invested in this matter to be transferred to others who have been convicted of this matter and the foreign currencies found in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm.
“This obsession of forcing EFF into VBS corruption is plain down harassment, We are busy with our 11th year anniversary celebrations here in Kimberly but of national importance were are fighting with everything that we have against the white supremacist which is ANC and DA coalition that is circumventing Parliamentary process to pass budgets,” she said.
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