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Bolsheviks Party of SA leader, Seun Mogotji, quotes former VBS chairperson Tshifiwa Matodzi’s affidavit in which he mentions how Social Development MEC, Florence Radzilani, allegedly benefited from the VBS loot when she was the executive mayor of Vhembe District Municipality.

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Sizwe sama Yende

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A leader of the Bolsheviks Party of South Africa, Seun Mogotji, has lodged a complaint against police for allegedly refusing to allow him open a case against Limpopo Social Development MEC, Florence Radzilani, relating to the embezzlement of the Venda Building Society (VBS) Mutual Bank’s funds.

Radzilani is mentioned in a fire-stoking affidavit deposed by disgraced former VBS chairperson, Tshifhiwa Matodzi,

Matodzi sang like a canary in his July 11 affidavit when he started serving his 15-year prison sentence for 33 counts of fraud, theft, money laundering and racketeering that led to the loss of R2billion and collapse and eventual liquidation of VBS.

Matodzi was sentenced to 15 years on each count, or a total of 495 years, but the sentences will run concurrently and he will only spent 15 years in jail or less if he will be released on parole.

Mogotji deposed his affidavit at the Groblersdal Police Station on July 16 explaining his reasons he wanted to see Radzilani charged.  Mogotji quotes Matodzi’s affidavit in which he mentions how Radzilani allegedly benefited from the VBS loot when she was the executive mayor of Vhembe District Municipality.

Radzilani did not respond to written questions sent to her two cellphone numbers six days ago.

“I draw your attention to the following paragraphs (of Matodzi’s affidavit) which constitute the heart of our criminal complaint,” Mogotji wrote.

Matodzi’s affidavit read: “Around 20 December 2017, I received a WhatsApp message from Matsepe requesting that gratuitous payment be made to the then Mayor of Vhembe, Mrs Florence Radzilani ("the Mayor")......In the WhatApp message, Matsepe informed me that the Mayor wanted "Christmas" money as the R300 000 that was already paid to her and the Speaker was not enough for the job they were doing. The gratuitous amount Matsepe was requesting was R1.5 million.......”

He further wrote: “Whereas the initial gratuity requested for the Mayor in December 2017 was R1.5 million, in January 2018 that requested amount had been inflated by Matsepe to R2 million. In view of the intensified and premature withdrawals by municipalities during that period we then succumbed to Matsepe's demand for the R2 million payment and paid that amount into Moshate account. The investments in question in Vhembe were rolled over as Matsepe promised.”

Radzilani was among municipalities that invested public funds at VBS against the advice of National Treasury that government was not allowed to deposit money in mutual banks. 

Kabelo Matsepe, a former ANC Youth League leader, has been identified in Matodzi’s statement as one of main characters in the VBS saga. The SA Revenue Service is on his case as it demands R61 million for tax evasion.

The Pretoria high court dismissed Matsepe’s appeal against the declaration of his estate as insolvent.

Mogotji has since complained to deputy police minister, Cassel Mathale, and Limpopo police commissioner, Lt General Thembi Hadebe, against the Groblersdal police.

He has received a response from provincial Hawks head, Major General Gopz Govender, who said: “Just for record purposes, we are currently investigating many VBS matters amongst it is the one that you are concerned about.”

Limpopo premier, Phophi Ramathuba, has publicly said that Radzilani had not been charged yet for the ANC to take any action. Calls have been intensifying for her to fire the provincial ANC deputy chairperson whom she appointed to her cabinet recently.