EFF’s Floyd Shivambu in Parliament. Photographer Ayanda Ndamane / African News Agency (ANA)
The Economic Freedom Fighters has vowed to challenge the joint committee on ethics and members interests’ sanction against its deputy president, Floyd Shivambu, in court.
On Monday, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests slated Shivambu for not disclosing the R180,000 he received in three separate payments from Sgameka Projects - a company owned by his brother, Brian Shivambu.
It was reported that Brian is alleged to have received an unlawful R16 million payment from the now defunct VBS Bank, some of which was channelled to Sgameka Projects, which then was found to have paid at least R180 000 to the EFF leader.
In a statement, the EFF said it is vindicated that no money from VBS made it to the party’s bank accounts.
“We welcome the fact that Parliament’s investigations have revealed that there was no money that was received by VBS Mutual Bank by both the EFF President and Deputy President.The joint committee has acknowledged that categorically that the loan amount of money were donations, which came from a private company called Sgameka Pty Ltd, not from VBS.
“What is an incorrect conclusion of the committee is that the loan amount from Sgameka was a donation despite the fact that Sgameka presented a sworn affidavit that the amount is a loan ,which had nothing to do with VBS,” the party said.
According to the rule book, MPs are required to declare any income or benefits they receive from outside their government package.
The committee said it received an affidavit from the VBS liquidator, which stated that during August 2017, three payments, totalling R180,000, flowed from Sgameka Projects to Shivambu.
As such, the party said the narrative that has been created over this matter is false and does not reflect the reality of the situation, which is why they will be taking parliament to court.
“The deputy president will take Parliament to court to overturn the joint committee’s irrational and opportunistic conclusion and sanction. It is not in the powers of the joint committee to dispute the loans between people even when they have demonstrated beyond any sensible doubt that they had loaned each other money. Parliament’s rules do not prescribe that loans must be declared with Parliament,” the party said.
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