ActionSA has laid criminal charges against Justice Minister Thembi Simelane

1 October 2024

ActionSA has laid criminal charges against Justice Minister Thembi Simelane for alleged violations of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, as well as the common law crime of forgery in connection with the dodgy R575,600.00 so-called “loan” she solicited from Gundo Wealth Solutions.

Following revelations that the loan agreement, which she refused to provide to Parliament’s Justice Portfolio Committee during her appearance, may indeed be a forgery, as the documents appear to have been created after the agreement was concluded in an attempt to legitimise an allegedly unlawful transaction.

ActionSA has taken this step following numerous appeals for accountability to the President, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Public Protector, all of whom appear unwilling to hold the Minister accountable for what are egregious allegations with serious implications for the vital role she plays in maintaining the integrity of our justice system.

In the absence of any appetite for commensurate action from the President, Public Protector, and the Speaker, ActionSA has been forced to embark on yet another step in our ongoing fight to ensure that the Minister is held accountable.

Given the weight of the allegations surrounding the potentially corrupt transactions, the serious implications if the Minister is found guilty, and the potential impact on her continued leadership of South Africa’s justice system, ActionSA believes that accountability simply cannot be delayed any further.

Therefore, ActionSA again reiterates our call for the President to suspend the Minister pending the outcome of the any ongoing investigations or alternatively, the Minister herself should do the honourable thing and step aside if she has any respect for the office she holds, as her continued tenure as Head of the Justice system is simply untenable.

Issued by Athol Trollip, Parliamentary Leader, ActionSA, 1 October 2024