DA submits Ethics Complaints against Motshekga, Dlamini and Mabe
The DA has today submitted a complaint to the Office of the Registrar against six ANC MPs – Paul Mashatile, Angie Motshekga, Bathabile Dlamini, Pule Mabe, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and Edna Molewa – that ran for leadership positions at various elective conferences this year.
Not one of them declared any financial sponsorships in the members’ interest declarations and thus the Committee needs to investigate these six MP’s to establish whether they have breached the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members Interests.
The ANC has a track record of failure to disclose financial contributions. In 2013, none of the four MP’s who ran for leadership positions at the ANC’s 53rd National Conference declared any campaign finance contributions. These MP’s were:
- Kgalema Motlanthe
- Tokyo Sexwale
- Paul Mashatile
- Fikile Mbalula
The DA will therefore be writing to the Office of the Registrar to determine whether any retrospective action can be taken against them.
Further to this, this year, six ANC MPs failed to declare their financial interests by the stipulated deadline, 31 July 2015, four without an explanation or apology. The DA has already submitted a complaint to the Office of the Registrar and trust that appropriate action will be taken.
In 2013, 47 ANC MP’s failed to declare their interests on time. This included disgraced former Minister of Communications and ANC MP, Dina Pule, who failed to declare any of her financial interests. Other MPs who missed the deadline included:
- Ben Martins
- Nomzamo Madikizela- Mandela
- Trevor Manual
- Paul Mashatile
- Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
- Angie Motshekga
- Fikile Mbalula
- Pule Mabe
- Tokyo Sexwale
In 2012 67 ANC MPs missed the declaration 23 August deadline, most notably:
- Joan Fubbs
- Malusi Gigaba
- Mandla Mandela
- Collen Maine
- Ben Martins
- Mothole Motshekga
- Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
- Lechesa Tsenoli
Most of these MPs failed to disclose their interests on time without excuse or consequence. To make matters worse ANC MP and Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Appropriations, Paul Mashatile, was implicated in a cash-for-votes scandal to abandon his endorsement of Kgalema Motlanthe ahead of the Mangaung Elective Conference. This conduct must too be probed.
The DA has acknowledged that not all its MPs submitted a full declaration before the deadline, and took immediate steps to rectify this. All our MPs have now submitted full declarations of interest.
That the ANC has made allegations against the DA for an oversight that was speedily remedied is inexplicable and is a demonstration that honest and ethical conduct is not its motivation but rather to besmirch the opposition and distract the South African public for its atrocious record in running clean and transparent elections.
It is hypocrisy of the highest order for the ANC to pursue a complaint against the DA when so many of its MPs have fallen foul of the Ethics Code.
Issued by John Steenhuisen, DA Chief Whip, 4 November 2015
