The pillars of the African National Congress (ANC) keep crumbling and chopping away with the proverbial axe is former party member Vincent Smith.
Vincent Smith tells all at State Capture Inquiry
Ashamed and ready to sacrifice himself in the redemptive fire pit, Vincent Smith has been singing like a canary on the stands of the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
On Friday, the former ANC stalwart took the commission into the nitty-gritty of his shoddy dealings with African Global Operations (formerly known as Bosasa).
In particular, the former parliamentary chairperson of correctional services’ portfolio committee was held to account on a R615 000 kickback he admits he received from Bosasa.
According to former chief of operations at Bosasa, Angelo Agrizzi, this was a necessary funding to win over someone who was described as a “thorn in the flesh”.
While Smith has accepted liability for biting the bait, he claims this was ‘loan’ was to fund his daughter’s tuition.
“I confirm having entered into an agreement for a personal loan with Mr A. Agrizzi which is repayable by me. This loan was processed to me in two separate payments; an amount of R220 000 in 2015; and R395 000 in 2016. The loan was for the university tuition fees of my daughter in year one (2015) and year 2 (2016)”, Smith revealed.
Here’s everything we know about the whistleblower
The allegations have sparked outrage against the ruling party on social media, a common fixture that has threatened a revolt never witnessed before in democratic South Africa.
We did some digging into Smith to find out how he became such a prominent figure in the largescale state capture the country is still sobering from.
Smith rose through the ranks of the ruling party, starting out his career in ANC’s student leadership. His tenacity and natural knack for authority attracted the attention of the party’s Top Six.
He holds a Bachelor of Accounting Sciences (BCompt) from the University of South Africa. This is a complete timeline of his positions as a member of the ANC:
- 1995-04: Deputy Chairperson of Johannesburg R.E.C
- 2004-08: Treasurer of Johannesburg R.E.C
- 2009-14: Member of Parliament
- 2009-14: Chairperson at Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services
- 2014-19: Chairperson at Committee On Auditor-General
Smith also chaired the ground-breaking Ad Hoc on the SABC Inquiry and Ad Hoc Committee on the Political Party Funding Bill.
At the time of publishing this article, Smith was still testifying before the commission.
