People looted VBS because they could get away with it: Nzimande

The South African Communist Party (SACP) General Secretary, Dr Blade Nzimande, says people looted VBS bank because they know nothing will happen to them.

Nzimande was speaking during his visit to the home of the late SACP and MK veteran, Eric “Stalin” Mtshali, at New Germany, west of Durban.

Nzimande was referring to the report released by the Reserve Bank, which implicates scores of high profile people and companies in fraud and corruption worth nearly R2 billion.

Nzimande says criminals have already infiltrated the country’s criminal justice system.

The recipient of the prestigious Order of Mendi for Bravery in Silver, Eric Stalin Mtshali, passed on after a long illness in Durban. 84-year-old Mtshali will be remembered as one of the founding members of ANC’s military wing, Umkhonto weSizwe, a trade unionist, and later an MP after 1994.

The SACP led by its general secretary, Nzimande, paid tribute to the Mtshali family. Nzimande says the late anti-apartheid activist was one of the outstanding warriors for social justice, equality and freedom..

“I am sent here by the SACP to come and express our condolences on the passing away of the hero of our struggle and of our party, SACP and ANC comrade Eric Mtshali. We have come here to say to the family that we are with them as part of sharing our condolences to also assure them that actually comrade Mtshali is going to leave a very big gap in our organisation because not only did he sacrifice in the struggle against apartheid but he has never rested he died with his boots on.”

Nzimande says Mtshali was a selfless leader, who fought for liberation, without expecting anything. He has lashed out at those who joined the organisation for self-enrichment.

“The problem with corruption, people who think that in order to be in positions of power, in political organisations or in government is also to enrich one’s self and one’s family. People like babu Mtshali never fought for that really. The values that guided them prior to 1994, we need those values even more now where we have got the responsibility to run the country especially to use the resources of the people instead of bringing about change in their lives.”

Nzimande adds that those who commit crime should face the full might of the law.

“Corrupt and often criminal networks have encircled the state and some sections of our organisation to the extent they actually thought they could do anything without being called to account. The VBS thing illustrates the brazenness with which money has been stolen. People you could see they knew nothing was going to happen because part of our criminal justice system has also been corrupt very seriously.”

Mtshali was involved in mobilising organised labour to protest against the injustices of the apartheid government. Mtshali left behind his wife and daughter.

The struggle icon Mtshali will be laid to rest this coming Sunday.

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