South Africa’s Justice Minister, Thembi Simelane, on Friday denied corruption allegations linked to the VBS Mutual Bank scandal, where thousands of retirees lost their life savings.
VBS Mutual Bank collapsed in 2018 after 2 billion rand ($112 million) was stolen, affecting retirees and municipalities in Limpopo province.
Police investigations revealed the funds were used to purchase luxury goods and distributed to political entities.
Simelane, appointed in June, allegedly received a loan from a company involved in the scandal while she was mayor of Polokwane.
Critics have demanded her removal from office, questioning her impartiality as she oversees the National Prosecuting Authority, which is handling VBS-related cases.
In Parliament, Simelane claimed her loan was legitimate, fully repaid, and unrelated to her former municipality’s dealings with VBS.
She insisted there was no conflict of interest regarding the ongoing investigations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, under pressure to act, has requested an official explanation from Simelane.
He assured the public the matter would not be ignored, emphasizing his commitment to addressing corruption.
