Durban - Black First Land First (BLF) leader Andile Mngxitama has weighed in on the arrest of eight people accused of looting and bankrupting VBS Mutual Bank.
The leadership of the Economic Freedom Fighters has been accused of unduly benefitting from funds looted from the bank.
On his Facebook page Mngxitama, a former EFF member of parliament, wrote: “8 VBS looters arrested. More arrests expected. Pravin is dealing with the Zuma must go brigade. His former friends thought he would protect them. Those who ate VBS know themselves.”
The bank came into prominence in October 2018 after the release of a report titled “The Great Bank Heist” commissioned by the South African Reserve Bank highlighted the looting of money in the region of R2 billion.
Brian Shivambu, the younger brother of EFF second in command Floyd Shivambu, is one of those accused of having benefited from the looting of the bank with claims that Floyd had received payments through a company owned by his brother.
Mngxitama took a swipe at members of the EFF who he referred to as “Louis Vuitton addicts” because of the luxury fashion brands often worn by the party’s leaders.
“Louis Vuitton addicts are too compromised to lead the revolution. People who are addicted to Louis Vuittons and Gucci lifestyles can’t lead the revolution even if they wanted to. First to sponsor their lifestyles they engage in corruption like looting the VBS bank.
“They also get involved in tender corruption in metros they have handed over to land thieves. White Monopoly Capital keeps the receipts.
Mngxitama added that when “these corrupt leaders” become a problem or were no longer needed WMC simply sets the law enforcement on them.
“The strategy of Pravin Gordhan is not to arrest the addicts but to control them. How do you silence and control a Louis Vuitton addict? You arrest its accomplices, put them on trial and even convict them.
“The addict knows that if its accomplices are convicted it will follow suit. So each time Rupert is irritated he activates the media to remind the addict that there is a pending case or cases. The addict then makes sure the struggle is compromised because otherwise they will face jail,” said Mngxitama.
He added that conspicuous consumers and branded life addicts can never lead the revolution as they are too compromised.
“The arrests going on now are warning shots. The addicts shall toe the line. Stellenbosch is in charge!” Mngxitama said.
In a statement earlier on Wednesday the EFF’s spokesperson Vuyani Pambo welcomed the arrests but also distanced any of the party's leaders from any wrongdoing or criminal activity in the VBS matter.
“We welcome these arrests because an opportunity will be presented in neutral courts of law to present hard facts evidence, thereby removing the media campaign and slander that has been ongoing since the release of the South African Reserve Bank report on improprieties in the bank.
“We further welcome the commitment by the DPCI (Directorate of Priority Crimes) that no stone will be left unturned in conducting investigations and that everyone in the wrong will be accountable. The leadership of the EFF reaffirms its statements and articulations that despite the so many factional and politically influenced allegations against its leadership, there is no wrong doing criminal activity committed by its leaders,” Pambo said.