The former Director General of the Department of Treasury, Dongo Mogajane, has dismissed as baseless allegations that he received R1 million to withdraw a letter instructing municipalities to stop depositing monies into the now defunct VBS Mutual Bank.
The allegations are included in the leaked affidavit, made by convicted former VBS Bank Chairperson, Tshifhiwa Matodzi.
“I categorically deny that I have ever received corrupt monies or bribes.
I proudly served with distinction, honesty, loyalty, and humility as a dedicated public servant for 23 years, the last five of which were as Director-General of National Treasury.
My record is clean in terms of how I ran my department and conducted myself as a member of National Treasury,” said Mogajane.
He insists that he was one of the people that stopped Matodzi in his tracks and prevented VBS from pilfering the country further.
Mogajane acknowledged meeting Matodzi several times during my tenure, albeit in the presence of other stakeholders.
He said these meetings followed a circular issued by National Treasury in August 2017 warning municipalities that deposits made at a mutual bank contravened municipal finance regulations and were not allowed.
“Matodzi sought to have the circular withdrawn.
But each time, I gave him the same answer, refusing to withdraw the circular, and refusing his requests to allow VBS to conduct any further investment deals with municipalities.
As can be evidenced by minutes of these meetings, we made it very clear that legally, VBS Mutual Bank was not allowed to continue conducting investment deals or receiving deposits from municipalities.
In fact, my colleagues and I became so alarmed by the actions of VBS Bank that I filed an affidavit against it in November 2017, wherein I confirmed National Treasury’s stance against the intentions of VBS in continuing to take municipal deposits.
Later, I made another statement with the Hawks in support of their investigation into the bank,” explained the former DG.
Mogajane said during these discussions in 2017 and early 2018, they were oblivious that VBS was essentially a scam, and simply viewed these as engagements with a black-owned bank.
“As evidence of the stance that both myself and National Treasury took against Matodzi and VBS, all filed affidavits, statements, minutes of meetings, circulars, and general records dating as far back as 2017, are with the relevant authorities.
I will not be trialled by corrupt individuals or those driving their own agendas, and I will not allow anyone to tarnish my name,” added Mogajane.
The affidavit implicates several people and organizations, including the EFF, its leader Julius Malema and Deputy Floyd Shivambu.
Former Limpopo ANC Youth League leader Kabelo Matsepe, and Danny Msiza, who was then Treasurer for the ANC in Limpopo.
