'Limpopo ANC leaders knew of VBS donation'

Despite resigning over the VBS Mutual Bank saga, Limpopo ANC finance manager Imtyaaz Mohamed says his dealings with the bank were above board, with the full knowledge of party leaders.

Mohamed resigned with immediate effect following fresh revelations that he allegedly facilitated transport payment through the collapsed bank.

In his court papers last week against ANC provincial treasurer Danny Msiza, advocate Terry Motau said Mohamed was involved in the payment by VBS of the amount of R703,500 for the hiring of buses to transport ANC members from Limpopo to the party's national conference at Nasrec, Johannesburg, last year.

In a resignation letter dated December 15 to provincial secretary Soviet Lekganyane, whose chief of staff had written to Mohamed requesting him to show cause as to why he shouldn't resign, the finance manager denied any direct dealings with VBS.

"This implies that I could be suspended where no evidence exits. The implication is so preposterous as it relates to a donation received for the ANC," Mohamed said.

"I would like to state that I have no dealings with VBS beyond the need to solicit donations for the ANC in Limpopo," he said.

Mohamed said the donation by all accounts was above board and solicited with the full knowledge of the provincial executive committee (PEC) officials. He said he had it on record that Msiza reported the donations to the officials.

"Based on the extremely unwarranted letter to myself requesting a version of events that is consistent with fund-raising techniques utilised by most political parties, leads me to believe that I have become a victim of political squabble," the resignation letter read.

"It is for this reason I feel my stay in the office may no longer be welcomed. I therefore resign with immediate effect."

Lekganyane said he was not aware of Mohamed's resignation. "Nobody has resigned, all our officials are reporting for duty," he said.

Reacting to Mohamed's resignation, Msiza applauded the erstwhile finance manager for choosing the ANC as a chartered accountant and having accepted nominal payments far below his peers.

In a letter seen by Sowetan to both ANC chairperson Stan Mathabatha and Lekganyane, Msiza confirmed that the donation was above board and duly reported to the then PEC officials and finance sub-committee.

"The provincial chairperson can attest to this undisputed assertion.

"It's me who asked you [Mathabatha] to forward the quotation for the buses from Limpopo Coaches for onward payment due to our internal negative cash flow at the time," he said.

Msiza, who is also implicated in the VBS saga, has accused Motau of making defamatory summations without affording him an opportunity to respond.