VBS Heist: Six years later, perpetrators must be brought to book
14 August 2024
The DA today renewed its call for justice in the VBS looting scandal during a media briefing at the Pretoria High Court, where the pre-trial in the VBS case is taking place. Six years after the scandal broke, the DA demands that it is time for those responsible to be held accountable, including politicians who allegedly benefited from this crime.
In 2018, the VBS scandal exposed widespread looting by bank officials and politicians, including senior leaders of the EFF, Floyd Shivambu and Julius Malema. Nearly six years later, while we see criminal prosecutions against VBS officials, the politicians implicated remain unscathed, raising serious concerns about the pace of justice.
The DA has been relentless in its pursuit of accountability. In October 2018, we filed criminal charges against 50 individuals named in the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) forensic report. In November 2018, we charged Floyd Shivambu and Julius Malema with accepting R1.8 million from VBS. However, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has yet to complete its investigations.
This absence is unacceptable and the DA has called on the Police Portfolio Committee to play an oversight role and ensure these investigations are completed.