DA welcomes review of MP’s ethics code

The party’s chief whip Natasha Mazzone has welcomed a decision by Parliament ethics committee to establish a subcommittee to review MP’s code of ethics.

This comes after former health minister Zweli Mkhize was cleared of wrongdoing in the Digital Vibes scandal.

A day after the committee’s decision, the Special Tribunal ruled in favour of the Special Investigating Unit in its attempt to add more companies to its efforts in recovering over R150 million from the tender awarded to Digital Vibes by the Health Department.

Mazzone says to avoid this in the future, MP’s interests should be made public.

“We have to review the code of ethics for Members of Parliament because we have seen so many MPS and ministers gain contracts to the use of their family or wives or husbands and daughters. I think what will help is when we look at the registrar of interest to inform Parliament if there is anything that Parliament should be aware of.

“The registrar of interest should have known about the Digital Vibes scandal because your immediate family, you have to declare whether they have contracts. We need to look at what we keep confidential and what we don’t keep confidential and I think that particular section where put family members are involved should be kept public,” says Mazzone.

Mazzone says the party will challenge the committee’s decision on Mkhize.

“I think it’s a very poor decision, we will be challenging it. I think if President Cyril Ramaphosa is serious about making a major breakthrough with corruption, it should start in his very own cabinet and with his own MPs. He should understand that we are all very concerned.”

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