Former Elias Motsoaledi Municipality mayor, Julia Mathebe, as well as the council’s ex-municipal manager, Minah Maredi, are the latest two people to be nabbed in the ongoing VBS Bank investigation.

The two on Wednesday afternoon appeared before the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court after they were arrested earlier in the day.

Mathebe is the current mayor of the Sekhukhune District Municipality. 

Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, said the arrests were as a result of an ongoing investigation into the VBS Mutual Bank investments that were conducted by municipalities in contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act.

“The municipal manager is said to have been instrumental in investing R190 million municipal funds into the VBS Mutual Bank wherein the mayor received over R300 000 in gratification which included cash, accommodation and flight tickets. These were channelled through a company belonging to her children,” she said.

Since 2020, the Hawks had made several arrests in relation to the case. Former municipal officials, businesspeople and former mayors were among those hauled before various courts.

Addressing the media in September, Hawks head, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, said the Directorate had put more than 20 investigators to deal with the VBS Bank investigation.

“More than 2 000 statements that need to be put together. We have already taken more than 1 000 and if you look at the charges, actually the 188 charges that suspects are facing, is equal to 188 dockets,” he said. 

The case was postponed to 2 March 2023 after they were granted bail of R30 000 each. Source: South African Government News Agency