Embattled Justice Minister Simelane to dodge Parly committee, sends deputy instead

CAPE TOWN - Embattled Justice Minister Thembi Simelane is expected to dodge Parliament on Tuesday, instead she's sending her deputy, Andries Nel, to provide a political overview of the work of her department.

Simelane is facing increasing pressure from opposition parties to step down amid allegations of impropriety linked to the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank.

Minister Simelane appeared before the same committee last month to explain her side of the story, following which, ActionSA lodged a criminal complaint.

The Democratic Alliance (DA), meanwhile, said that the president was taking too long to make up his mind about her future in his Cabinet.

On Tuesday, the justice committee will start the week-long interrogation of annual reports and funding requests from justice agencies, including the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Office of the Chief Justice and the Public Protector. 
 
But Simelane will evade facing the committee, with the department announcing on Monday night that her deputy, Andries Nel, would be setting the scene for the week ahead. 
 
DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach said the president must come clean on whether he knew about Simelane's dubious loan as far back as 2021, as reported by the Sunday World. 
 
"If Ramaphosa was indeed aware of this matter from the beginning, his current demand for an explanation about information he already possesses raises serious questions about his apparent refusal to act against Simelane."
 
Breytenbach said that Simelane’s failure to make public the loan agreement and the proof of payment only deepened suspicion about whether the transaction was legal and ethical. 
 
Next week, President Cyril Ramaphosa will be answering questions in the National Assembly, including one from Breytenbach about Simelane's future.