DA accuses Simelane of corruption during heated budget vote

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane on Wednesday complained of being tried in public by the DA in order to degrade the work she was doing in government.

Simelane maintained that she was not amazed by what was happening to her because a person stands in front of a judge when charged with an offence.

“I am undergoing a trial without being charged. You are trying me in public because you think this is the only way to degrade the work I am doing,” she said.

Simelane responded to the DA's blistering attacks during the budget vote for her department.

The DA, which had its former deputy minister, Andrew Whitfield, dismissed for taking a trip to the US without authorisation from President Cyril Ramaphosa, has vowed not to vote in support of the budgets of departments left by compromised ministers and deputy ministers.

On Tuesday, the DA claimed that Simelane was under investigation after it laid charges with the SAPS for the alleged theft of more than R700,000 by fraudulently billing Eskom when she worked for a company named Vitrovian.

Speaking during the debate, DA MP Luyolo Mphithi said the Human Settlements Department was saddled with a catastrophic collapse of governance across its several housing entities.

Mphithi recalled that Simelane was previously accused of receiving a  R575,600 “loan” from Gundo Wealth Solutions, linked to the unlawful investments of municipal funds into the VBS Mutual Bank, while she was the mayor of the Polokwane Municipality.

“It seems that the president does not at all take issue with the fact that a person accused of corruption sits in his Cabinet and will have to look after the budget with R30 billion set aside for South Africans,” he said.

Mphithi also said that although the department’s budget and department have many challenges, it would under normal circumstances be supported.

“However, we are faced with a minister who has corruption allegations against her and has not been accountable to the South African public, which makes it difficult for us to support this budget,” he said.

Mphithi’s colleague, Conrad Poole, was more brutal. He took to the podium as he took jabs at Simelane.

Poole said that when Simelane was accused, she should be in the dock before a judge and not be an MP entrusted with R33 billion of taxpayer funds.

“I certainly would not bet any money on this minister doing anything to clean up shop. If the allegations of corruption are true, she would rather buy coffee shops. She may, in fact, be planning to convert the Department of Human Settlements for her grand relaunch of her ‘coffee’ enterprise.

“We cannot trust that the precious taxpayer money allocated to this budget will be implemented or cared for by this compromised minister, who was only redeployed to this department under the darkest of clouds. She simply cannot be trusted with R33 billion of hard-earned taxpayer funds meant to house the vulnerable, when her failures are so stark and so many,” Poole said.

In response, Simelane reminded the DA of its public representative, whom she identified as Msebenzi Radebe, who was allegedly accused of the murder of her sister, whom the party never charged.

“In 2016, when I managed to place charges against him, it was only then that the DA suspended him. Even on my calls to get the DA to get a statement of murder against my sister, they did not. In 2019, three years later, she died.

“So good, you can find the nearest door to the police station. Where it matters, you don’t even know where the door is,” she said.

Simelane insisted that the investigation was about accountability.

“I availed myself of accountability. Now the investigation is done, and you reported the case, but you now can’t wait for the investigation to conclude. I fear I am going to disappear after this. I mean really,” she said.

ANC MP Albert Seabi pleaded with Simelane not to be distracted by the amount of noise, no matter how loud it may be, including the noise about an allegation not tested in court.

“You have our support minister because of your strong work ethic, your dedication, your diligence, and your consistent commitment to transparency, accountability, and transforming the sector,” said Seabi.

Although some of the opposition parties indicated they would not support the budget, they did not launch any personal attacks at Simelane.

EFF MP Babalwa Mathulelwa said they rejected the budget not because “we are extortionists like the DA”.

Mathulelwa said the rejection of the budget was based on the empty promise wrapped in inflation and false hopes.

 She said the department’s budget was increased in nominal terms.

“It does not build more homes. It does not address the ever-growing backlogs, and it certainly does not restore the dignity of our people. It does not speak to housing backlog, which now exceeds 2.3m units,” Mathulelwa said.

ActionSA’s Malebo Patricia Kobe said they rejected the budget not because of who occupies the office, though it was deeply concerning that Simelane was under investigation for questionable VBS loans.

“The budget fails to honour the dignity of millions still waiting for a place to call home,” Kobe said.

Rise Mzansi’s Makashule Gana maintained that “I will debate the budget and resist the temptation to debate or play the woman”.

mayibongwe.maqhian@inl.co.za