ANC Received R2 Million from VBS After Zweli Mkhize’s Request

In 2016, the ANC, under treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize, allegedly received R2 million from the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank. This revelation emerged from an affidavit by former VBS chair Tshifhiwa Matodzi, linked to a plea agreement with the National Prosecuting Authority.

In a recent revelation, it has come to light that the African National Congress (ANC) received a significant payment of R2 million from the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank in 2016. This transaction, allegedly facilitated by then-ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize, was purportedly to pay an ANC supplier. The information surfaced from an affidavit submitted by Tshifhiwa Matodzi, the former chair of the VBS Mutual Bank board, as part of a plea agreement with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

Matodzi’s affidavit details a meeting held in Rivonia, Johannesburg, where the request for the funds was made. Present at the meeting were Dr. Zweli Mkhize, former VBS CEO Andile Ramavhunga, Matodzi himself, and possibly Joseph Nkadimeng, who Matodzi believes arranged the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to secure assistance from Mkhize in accessing facilities at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC).

According to Matodzi, the R2 million was paid via either Joseph or Tseke Nkadimeng and was specifically requested by Mkhize for an ANC supplier. Matodzi noted that no further engagements were held with Mkhize regarding this matter.

This week, the Pretoria High Court sentenced Matodzi to 15 years in prison for each of the 33 counts of corruption, theft, fraud, money-laundering, and racketeering linked to the VBS Mutual Bank collapse. The court also declared Matodzi unfit to possess a firearm.

Additionally, Matodzi’s affidavit implicated the South African Communist Party (SACP) in financial dealings with VBS. He alleged that the SACP, through its then-Gauteng chairperson Jacob Mamabolo, requested VBS to settle a R3 million conference bill at the Birchwood Hotel in Kempton Park in July 2017. The payment was made by MML Food Services directly to the hotel, with no further financial requests from the SACP.

Matodzi’s revelations have cast a spotlight on the intricate and often opaque financial dealings within South African political structures, highlighting the entangled relationships between financial institutions and political entities. The implications of these disclosures may continue to unfold, potentially affecting the reputations and careers of those involved.