Murdered Limpopo ANC councillor 'first fatality' of VBS scandal - reports
28 November 2018
The ANC ward councillor who was shot dead on Monday was the "first casualty" of the VBS scandal, The Star reported on Wednesday.
Thabang Maupa of Ward 5 in the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality, Limpopo, was shot dead in his car on Monday evening.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe told News24 that Maupa was killed on Monday night outside his restaurant in Tubatse, near Burgersfort.
"The deceased, aged 42, allegedly arrived at this place to assist his wife to close up… and was accosted by an unknown vehicle, and the suspect suddenly started firing shots," Ngoepe said.
His wife survived the shooting.
'Beginning of the onslaught'
Pastor Derick Mosoana, president of Christians of South Africa (Cosa), told The Star that this was the "beginning of the onslaught". Mosoana reportedly said that there had been several attacks on the group of councillors "that is against VBS".
In a report titled "The great bank heist", which was published by the South African Reserve Bank last month, advocate Terry Motau found that the looting of the bank, through the creation of fictitious deposits, totalled more than R2bn.
Several high-ranking politicians have been implicated in the looting of VBS.
Maupa was outspoken about VBS on social media, posting a composite picture on his Facebook page with the message: "#VBS Bank!!! Bring back the money. We want our money for service delivery."
The composite contains a screenshot of an eNCA broadcast that states that the Burgersfort municipality in Limpopo had invested R245m in VBS.
Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality lost R230m that was invested in VBS. In July, Mayor Maudu Phokane said he was unsure if the R230m invested with the controversial VBS bank would be recovered, Steelburger News reported.
Municipality invested R230m in VBS
"We can confirm that an amount of R230m was invested with VBS Mutual Bank from November 10, 2016, to January 10, 2018. It is not clear at this stage whether the monies will be recovered," Phokane reportedly said.
According to IOL , Maupa had been receiving death threats and was gunned down following a council meeting in which he "called for decisive measures to be taken against his political seniors implicated in the VBS scandal".
Ngoepe however said that the motive for the killing was unknown and confirmed that cases of murder and attempted murder were being investigated.
"The police are offering a reward of up to R50 000 for any valuable information that can lead to the arrest and subsequent conviction of the suspect(s) responsible these crimes," said Ngoepe.
Police have launched a manhunt for the perpetrator.
