Parliament sanctions Cele, Shivambu, Peters for breaching ethics code

The Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests released its report on Tuesday.

This follows an investigation into complaints against the now Deputy Minister of Small Business Development Dipuo Peters, EFF MP Floyd Shivambu, and Police Minister Bheki Cele.

This was despite attempts by Peters and Shivambu to challenge the initial report.

Shivambu asked Parliament to remove the matter from the order paper,  arguing that the VBS matter was still before the court.

Peters wanted the recommendation not to be considered.

The three members were all found to have breached the member's code of ethical conduct.

DIPUO PETERS 

The complaints against Peters relate to her failure to appoint a Group CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) during her tenure as the Minister of Transport.

During her testimony before the State Capture Commission, Peters said this was because she thought PRASA was not ready for a new Group CEO.

 Her action resulted in a financial loss of R1.7 million, which was paid to the recruitment company.

It was also alleged that she used PRASA buses for ANC events in 2014 and 2015 without ensuring payment from the governing party.

The committee resolved to suspend her from sitting in all parliamentary debates and sittings and from committee meetings and committee-related functions and operations for one term of the parliamentary programme.

FLOYD SHIVAMBU 

With respect to Shivambu, the committee resolved to dock his nine days' salary for breaching the ethics code after he failed to disclose the R180,000 he received in three separate payments from Sgameka Projects - a company owned by his brother, Brian Shivambu.

Brian Shivambu was listed in the report into the collapse of VBS Bank as having received an unlawful R16 million payments through Sgameka Projects.

In 2019, the DA filed a complaint with the committee accusing Shivambu of receiving donations from the controversial bank via a company called Grand Azania between 2017 and 2018.

The Daily Maverick reported that Grand Azania paid over half a million rand towards Shivambu’s wedding celebrations in April 2017.

According to the committee, Shivambu had not disclosed three payments and had breached the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members' Interests.

These payments are R100 000 on 18 August 2017, a further R30 000 on 24 August 2017, and R50 000 on 26 August 2017.

The EFF argues that the money received through Sgameka had nothing to do with VBS.

BHEKI CELE

For Police Minister Bheki Cele, the committee asked that he make a public apology to ActionSA's Ian Cameron for lashing out at him during a public meeting in Cape Town.

Cameron, who is an anti-crime activist, interrupted Cele during the imbizo held in Gugulethu, accusing him of failing to protect Nyanga and Gugulethu citizens.

Cele responded with a threatening tone, telling the Action Society leader to “shut up”

Cameron was subsequently removed from the venue.

A video footage captured on the day went viral on social media, and it was also played to the committee.

Cameron told the committee that he did nothing to warrant being assaulted and forcibly removed and restrained.

The committee’s co-chairperson Bekizwe Nkosi, said the committee found that even if Cele was unhappy with the manner in which Cameron addressed the issue at the imbizo, he was required to act in a manner that would maintain public confidence and trust in the integrity of Parliament.

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