On Friday, AfriForum formally lodged criminal charges against Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and his deputy, Floyd Shivambu.
The charges were laid at the Sandton police station, with the lobby group demanding an investigation into allegations of fraud, corruption, and racketeering connected to the VBS Mutual Bank scandal.
AfriForum has accused the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of being hesitant to prosecute Malema and Shivambu. Gerrie Nel, representing AfriForum, expressed concerns about the NPA’s reluctance to take decisive action.
“We think that there is reluctance by the NPA to take action and to prosecute Mr Malema and Mr Shivambu,” he stated. Nel further emphasized that AfriForum would monitor the investigation closely and intervene if necessary.
The allegations against Malema and Shivambu stem from a leaked 77-page affidavit by former VBS Mutual Bank chairperson Tshifhiwa Matodzi.
According to the affidavit, Malema and Shivambu received a lump sum of R5 million and monthly payments of R1 million from Matodzi. These payments were allegedly made to ensure that the EFF leaders refrained from criticizing the bank publicly.
Matodzi was sentenced to 15 years in prison this week for multiple counts of racketeering, theft, fraud, and money laundering.
This sentence was significantly reduced from an initial 495 years after Matodzi struck a deal with the state. Police have confirmed that they are investigating the claims made against Malema and Shivambu.
