Johnathan Paoli
WHILE the EFF has welcomed the Parliamentary investigation clearing leader Julius Malema from any involvement in the VBS matter; it has criticised the conclusion reached that its deputy president Floyd Shivambu received a donation, saying that it was a loan and thus not required to be declared.
The Red Berets released a media statement on Monday night, following a finding by the Committee that Shivambu had in fact crossed ethical lines by not declaring three donations and recommended a salary cut of 9 days.
The party called the conclusion utterly false and not a reflection of reality and said that it intends to take parliament to court to overturn the ‘committee’s irrational and opportunistic conclusion and sanction’.
“It is not in the powers of a Joint Committee to dispute the loans between people even when they have demonstrated beyond any sensible doubt that they had loaned each other money,” the party said.
The EFF claims that since the amounts given to Shivambu were loans, Parliament holds no legal right to oversight and thus the failure of Shivambu to disclose remains above board.
The DA initially filed complaints first in 2018 and again in 2019 when allegations surfaced that Shivambu was embroiled in what it called the ‘grand heist of savings of vulnerable depositors at VBS Bank.’
DA Chief Whip Siviwe Gwarube said the party welcomed the findings by the Ethics Committee.
“Shivambu’s failure to declare monies received through VBS cast doubt on all public statements he has made about this matter. We trust that law enforcement agencies will be reinvigorated in their hunt for the truth,” Gwarube said.
EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi dismissed the allegations, saying they are attempts at sabotaging the growing popularity of the party.
“There will be all kinds of distractions from our 2024 election journey. The enemy will throw mud, dogs will bark and snakes will rise from within. All these point to one thing: we are the greatest threat to the establishment in the 2024 elections,” Ndlozi said.
The statement concluded with welcoming the vindication of the EFF leader and said that the movement will be focusing on the ground preparing for the elections.
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