Deputy President Paul Mashatile was fined R10k after Parliament's ethics committee rejected his explanation for omitting a diamond gift from the official register.
According to EWN , the gemstone, presented to Mashatile's wife by diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg, did not appear in the confidential section of last year's financial disclosures. Liebenberg currently faces multiple corruption charges linked to diamond trading.
The Democratic Alliance DA lodged its complaint in March, questioning why the diamond went undeclared. This week, the ethics committee confirmed that Mashatile's reasons did not satisfy the disclosure requirements. The panel praised all MPs who submitted their 2024 financial returns on time, but found the deputy president in breach of the rules.
In his defence, Mashatile said he delayed declaring the gift until after it had been professionally appraised and then surrendered the stone to the National Prosecuting Authority NPA. He argued that he needed a precise value before updating the register.
The ethics committee maintained that members must list immediate family interests first and update valuations later. Members of Parliament must disclose financial interests of their immediate family in the confidential register to maintain transparency without exposing private details, said committee co-chairperson Lusizo Makhubela.