How did they do it?

[Rectron]( [Mail & Guardian Newsletter logo](#) [mg.co.za]( [The Ampersand Daily Newsletter from the M&G team](#) [Divider Strip] October 09 2020 | [View in browser]( [Divider Strip] [Facebook icon]( [Twitter icon]( [Instagram icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( Hi there, The arrests have begun. Why now and not before? Our journalists go behind the scenes to bring you the story of how the wheels of justice have finally begun to turn. Plus the story of a deposed king's Rolls Royce as well as the North West ANC's refusal to listen to the party. Unravelling the billions of rands looted from the state and arresting and securing convictions in high-profile cases is a mammoth task. Several law enforcement agencies have been coordinating their efforts for months. The past two weeks have seen a flurry of high-profile arrests, seizures of glitzy assets that are allegedly proceeds of crime, and at least one convicted person turning state witness. Khaya Koko, Sabelo Skiti and Paddy Harper have drawn on sources that have given insight into [how the agencies have leaned on each other's expertise]( including coordinating with the judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture, and have ensured their actions do not counteract others. We may be seeing even more arrests making the headlines, thanks to the VBS scandal. The R2.3-billion VBS Mutual Bank "heist" saga took an unexpected turn when the prosecution announced that [more people would be arrested]( in connection with the alleged looting scheme. Koko reports that these revelations emerged during the appearance of seven of the defunct bank's top executives, who appeared at the specialised commercial crimes court sitting in Palmridge on Thursday. We may be seeing even more arrests making the headlines, thanks to the VBS scandal. The R2.3-billion VBS Mutual Bank "heist" saga took an unexpected turn when the prosecution announced that more people would be arrested in connection with the alleged looting scheme. Prosecutor Hein van der Merwe asked for a postponement to allow the state to make more arrests and amend the existing charge sheet with additional counts on top of the 47 that already exist. It appears the "Berning" house is finally getting itself in order. A key component of the new dispensation at the Hawks is the inclusion of investigators who are knowledgeable about the law and the expulsion of those "playing for the other side" as was the norm under the leadership of Berning Ntlemeza. Under Ntlemeza, the Hawks were notorious for being useful pawns in political battles, such that many legitimate investigations were derailed from inside the directorate. Patricia de Lille meanwhile remains [unfazed by the baggage of her past appointments](. Skiti reports that the impasse between the public works minister and her director general, advocate Sam Vukela, has deepened after revelations this week that the man she appointed to act as an accounting officer is accused of doctoring an internal forensic report. De Lille's detractors are now using her hiring of acting director general Imtiaz Fazel -- despite the fact that he was on the verge of suspension just last November -- as evidence of a witch hunt against Vukela. De Lille dismissed these assertions this week, saying that Vukela was allowed to discipline Fazel without involving her. Get these stories and more in the Mail & Guardian, in print and [online](. That's us for another week. As always we wish you a calm, Zoom-free weekend. If you still can't resist, we're always on the other end at [EditorOnline@mg.co.za](mailto:editoronline@mg.co.za). Until Tuesday, Kiri Rupiah & Luke Feltham [Divider Strip] [MG public servants]( [Divider Strip] [Danone]( [Divider Strip] [Facebook icon]( [Twitter icon]( [Instagram icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( You are receiving this email on {EMAIL} because 1.) You're a member of "Mail & Guardian" or 2.) previously subscribed [M&G logo] 25 Owl St, Braamfontein Werf, Johannesburg, 2092 Want to be removed? No problem! [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Email support: help@media-connect.co.za - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -