The African National Congress’s (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) has reinstated two top Limpopo party officials who were implicated in the VBS looting scandal, according to The Sowetan.
ANC Limpopo treasurer Danny Msiza and former Vhembe municipality mayor Florence Radzilani, who also served as provincial deputy chairperson, had to step down from their positions in 2018 after being implicated in the report into VBS by advocate Terry Motau.
The Sowetan report said sources in the ANC NEC and the Limpopo provincial executive committee said the party’s highest decision-making body agreed at the weekend that the pair be reinstated. Most attendees supported the decision, with the exception of Soviet Lekganyane, Aaron Motsoaledi, Joel Netshitenzhe, Pinky Kekana and Dikeledi Magadzi.
The majority group decided to reinstate the two because nothing had happened in their cases.
During her time as mayor of the Vhembe District, Radzilani allegedly complained about receiving fewer kickbacks than municipal officials. She has been implicated for demanding a R300 000 ‘Christmas’ present after the district municipality deposited R300m into VBS.
Msiza was labelled as an alleged kingpin in the ‘heist’ by a bank official, who claimed that Msiza influenced municipalities to deposit money in VBS.
Another NEC member said that, after the matter had been extensively debated, party chairman Gwede Mantashe ruled that the two should be reinstated.