#VBSDebate: You’re barking at the wrong tree, Shivambu tells MPs

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) chief whip Floyd Shivambu on Tuesday accused members of Parliament (MPs) of “barking at the wrong tree”, again denying that he or any of the party’s leaders received money siphoned off from VBS Mutual Bank.

“We are going to state here categorically, without any fear of contradiction, that the EFF and ourselves as MPs never benefited anything from the VBS looting and so-called heist that happened there,” Shivambu said during a debate on the SA Reserve Bank(Sarb) report.

The report found that at least 50 people “gratuitously” received R1.894 billion from the bank over a three-year period starting in March 2015, which led to the collapse of the bank.

Those implicated included top management at the bank’s major shareholder Vele Investments, its associates who cashed in more than R936 million.

Others also included bank executives and Limpopo politicians, as well as Shivambu’s younger brother, Brian, who received R16 million.

Subsequent media reports alleged that R10 million of that money was then directed to Shivambu while the EFF benefited to the tune of R1.3 million.

The older Shivambu told MPs that those responsible should be punished.

“We as the EFF, without any fear of contradiction, want to call on all law enforcement agencies take decisive action against all the people that did wrong…”

African News Agency (ANA)