DA lays complaint against six ANC MPs

“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,” said John Steenhuisen, the DA Chief Whip in a statement.

“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.”

Steenhuisen’s complaint came soon after the ANC Chief Whip Stone Sizani filed a similar complaint against DA leader Mmusi Maimane and some of his MPs.

Earlier on Wednesday ANC chief whip Stone Sizani said: “The ANC believes that DA leader Mmusi Maimane and his 10 colleagues who contested for positions at the party’s electoral federal congress in May failed to disclose financial donations they personally sought for their campaigns”.

He added: “The DA has thus far admitted guilt only in relation to Maimane and Makashule Gana, claiming oversight on their part and pleading ignorance of the provisions of the ethics code of conduct.”

Not to be out done the DA said it was “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”.

Apart from the six ANC members the DA complained about for failing to disclose their financial benefits, the main opposition party said the ruling party had “a track record of failure to disclose financial contributions”.

Steenhuisen said 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.

He named the ANC MPs as Kgalema Motlanthe (former deputy president), Tokyo Sexwale (fomer cabinet minister), Paul Mashatile (Gauteng ANC chairman) and Fikile Mbalula, the sports minister.

“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,” Steenhuisen said.

He said in addition to this anomaly, 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.”

Steenhuisen said 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.

Steenhuisen said: “Most of these MPs failed to disclose their interests on time without excuse or consequence”.

The DA chief whip added: “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.” - ANA

(File photo: Gallo Images)