ActionSA welcomes Hawks investigation into criminal complaint against Justice Minister Thembi Simelane

2 October 2024

ActionSA welcomes the confirmation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) that it is investigating the charges laid by ActionSA against Justice Minister Thembi Simelane in connection with corruption and forgery.

This confirmation follows ActionSA’s criminal charges laid yesterday in Polokwane against Justice Minister Simelane for alleged violations of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, as well as the common law crime of forgery, relating to the dodgy R575,600 “loan” solicited from Gundo Wealth Solutions.

During her tenure as Mayor of Polokwane, Minister Simelane received R575,600, which she now claims was a “loan” from Gundo Wealth Solutions, which she used to purchase a Sandton Coffee Shop. At the time, Gundo Wealth Solutions was the very same investment brokerage that had unlawfully invested R349 million of Polokwane Municipality’s funds into the now-collapsed VBS Bank.

The latest revelations, which prompted ActionSA to lay criminal charges of forgery, suggest that in an effort to legitimise an allegedly unlawful transaction, the Minister attempted to use a backdated loan agreement, which appears to have been created ex post facto after the transaction had already been concluded.

ActionSA has demonstrated that we will leave no stone unturned and will use every avenue at our disposal to ensure that accountability is enforced, not as a mere suggestion, but as a legal obligation as prescribed by the law. We further note the statement by the Minster that she will not be responding to media enquiries as the matter is now under police investigation, but this will not preclude us from pursuing this matter to finality.

ActionSA believes that, for the sake of the integrity of our justice system and the rule of law, the President has a responsibility to suspend the Minister pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

Issued by Athol Trollip, Parliamentary Leader, ActionSA, 2 October 2024