President Cyril Ramaphosa must ensure that the ANC pays back any money it might have received from VBS Mutual Bank and that criminal charges are laid against those implicated‚ DA leader Mmusi Maimane says.

Maimane said revelations on Sunday that the ANC allegedly profited to the tune of R2-million via a “donation” from VBS Bank towards their election campaign “illustrates to the people of South Africa the true nature of the ANC”.

“It appears President Ramaphosa’s commitment to rooting out corruption continues to ring hollow‚ with more empty promises from a failing ANC that steals from the poor and vulnerable to make themselves rich.

“It is time for President Cyril Ramaphosa to take immediate and decisive action. We therefore call on the President to without delay lay criminal charges against those who engineered this corrupt kickback – including the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs‚ Zweli Mkhize‚” Maimane said.

He said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) now needed to act against those in the ANC “who stole money from VBS bank accounts of poor‚ vulnerable and elderly people and funnelled it to rich politicians‚ politically connected businesspersons‚ and their associates”.

“Mr Ramaphosa must also instruct ANC Treasurer-General‚ Paul Mashatile‚ to guarantee that the party pays back every cent of this money within the next 7 days.”