DA leader Mmusi Maimane says the ANC must repay the R2m donation it allegedly received from VBS Mutual Bank in seven days.

This follows a report in the Sunday Times that the ANC received the donation from VBS bosses, who reportedly discussed this in WhatsApp texts seen by the paper.

The ANC told the Sunday Times that it would launch its own investigation into the allegations, and said it only had a record of R250 000 received from VBS to buy a table at its R106th birthday celebrations in East London, earlier this year.

The ANC reportedly said it would pay back the money, should the Sunday Times’ report prove to be true.

According to the Sunday Times, it is alleged that minister for cooperative governance and traditional affairs Zweli Mkhize asked for a R2m donation from Vele Investments, majority shareholder at VBS, in 2016, during the ANC’s election campaign.

On Sunday, the DA called the donation a “kickback” and called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to lay criminal charges against Mkhize. Maimane called on the National Prosecuting Authority to “act against those in the ANC who stole from the poor”.

Maimane said Ramaphosa must instruct ANC treasurer-general, Paul Mashatile, to ensure that the party pays back the R2m within seven days.

“President Ramaphosa has now been afforded a golden opportunity to prove to South Africans that he is more than just hot air and empty promises. We hope the President takes this opportunity and acts by laying criminal charges against his fellow comrades, and ensuring this R2 million kickback to the ANC is paid back,” Maimane said.

Maimane also said he will be asking questions in Parliament next week about when Ramaphosa became aware of the VBS scandal.

Two weeks ago, City Press reported that Ramaphosa knew about corruption at the bank in early 2017 but failed to take action.

But Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diseko, vehemently denied this. In a statement, she said, “President Ramaphosa has no knowledge of any meeting where he is said to have met any person associated with VBS Mutual Bank where he was purportedly briefed on the matter. Likewise, the claim that President Ramaphosa was forewarned about the impending implosion of VBS Bank is unsubstantiated.”