By Akani Nkuna
The Democratic Alliance has laid corruption charges against Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, accusing her of allegedly defrauding Eskom over R700,000 during her time at consulting firm Vitrovian.
The charges relate to claims that Simelane allegedly submitted fraudulent invoices while Vitrovian was contracted to manage unrest at the Kusile Power Plant.
The party says the allegations raise serious questions about Simelane’s integrity and her continued role in public office.
“Vitrovians’s charges to Eskom appear ridiculously 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,” DA justice and constitutional development spokesperson Glynnis Breytenbach claimed in a statement on Wednesday.
Although Simelane did not work for Eskom, she served as a project director of Vitrovian, a consulting firm hired by Eskom to manage protests at Kusile Power Station between October 2011 and March 2012.
Amid allegations linking Simelane to a lender involved in the looting of VBS Bank, Breytenbach said President Cyril Ramaphosa remained tight-lipped about the contents of a report Simelane submitted to him regarding the matter, and despite requests from the DA, the report had not been made public.
According to Breytenbach, the president’s refusal to act transparently and his “continued protection” of Simelane cast doubt on his commitment to tackling corruption within the highest ranks of government.
“President Ramaphosa is allowing a culture of impunity among ANC ministers implicated in corruption, and if he fails to remove Simelane from her post, he will become complicit in the corruption he says he is intent on fighting,” Breytenbach added.
The DA has expressed confidence that a police investigation will uncover the truth behind the allegations.
The minister’s spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
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