Behind the scenes with Pauli van Wyk

Behind the scenes with Pauli van Wyk

Behind the scenes with Pauli van Wyk

Last week, Pauli van Wyk in collaboration with News24’s Kyle Cowan published a three-part exposé detailing the mystery cash that former justice minister Thembi Simelane used to pay back R849,000 for a loan linked to a criminally-charged VBS fixer.

On Tuesday, 3 December 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa removed her from her position of Minister of Justice. 

That is the impact of Daily Maverick’s investigations.

Have you ever wondered what goes into an investigation? We grabbed Pauli for a quick sit-down to find out about the behind-the-scenes work that went into this investigation.


Support Pauli's Work

DM: How long have you been looking into crimes related to VBS Mutual Bank?

PVW: I’ve investigated bank managers, directors, auditors, politicians, lawyers and other enablers involved since the bank imploded in early 2018.

DM: Is it only politicians involved in alleged VBS-related corruption?

PVW: Politicians cannot be corrupt on their own. Business people have the money, politicians have the power and together these create a toxic nexus. I’ve written about board chair Tshifhiwa Matodzi, Treasurer Phophi Mukhodobwane, CFO Phillip Truter, PIC directors Ernest Nesane and Paul Magula, politicians Julius Malema, Floyd Shivambu, Florence Radzilane, Danny Msiza, Thembi Simelane and business people Kabelo Matsepe, Charl Cilliers and Diane Burns.

DM: This week’s investigation was about lavish spending, a stark contrast to the vulnerable South Africans whose savings were wiped out by the looting of VBS

PVW: Working with Lucas Ledwaba, we told the stories of elderly Venda residents Margaret Chauke and Nyawasedza Raphunga. Chauke sold magwinya and fresh produce from her smallholding to feed her family. She deposited her savings in VBS Mutual Bank. Raphunga was a bricklayer for the Venda Building Society, VBS’ predecessor, and her salary and savings were invested in VBS. They lost everything.

DM: How do you approach an investigation like this?

PVW: I follow a simple investigative method: What happened (these are the facts collected from witnesses), what should have happened (usually the rules or legislation), what’s the difference (this is the bum-on-chair analysis part).

DM: What is the process of compiling financials as detailed as the ones used in the Simelane investigation?

PVW: An investigation never starts with the financials, and the financials are never the entire story. The story originated and is kept alive by visiting sources, keeping a finger on the pulse at the authorities and keeping contact with the victims.
Sometimes, an investigative journalist is lucky to find a money trail that can be followed. The supportive documents are very difficult to find and are actually quite rare. When you do get them, you stick your nose into the data and try to make sense of the picture.
That picture is made up of all your knowledge from society, how the scam worked, what the victims say, who the alleged perpetrators are, where the money came from and where it went.
It is painstaking, boring and slow work.

DM: The public understandably want to see those implicated in the looting of VBS charged for their crimes — have you ever been approached by the authorities about an investigation?

PVW: The authorities have infinitely more access to a person’s financials and background than any journalist can ever hope to acquire. It means the authorities — if caught unaware — can simply follow the breadcrumbs in our stories and usually within minutes will know much more than journalists do.
On rare occasions the authorities will reach out about our investigations, or perhaps send a tip-off.
But ours is not to do the work of the police; rather to root out facts, reveal malfeasance and shine a spotlight on corruption and thereby hold the powerful to account in the interests of the public.

If you appreciate the impact of this investigation and want to see more investigations like it,
join Daily Maverick’s membership programme, Maverick Insider.

It’s the voluntary contributions of Insiders that pay the salaries of our journalists and enabled Pauli to expose thoseresponsible for
the looting of VBS and those who have profited from it.

I want to see impact