Ethics Committee must investigate Executive members' business interests

29 July 2014

The DA will request that the Parliamentary Ethics Committee investigate the business interests of 15 cabinet ministers who are reported to continue to have business interests; so as to determine whether there is any conflict of interest, and specifically that none of these businesses are tendering with the state.

We will also request that the Public Protector investigate President Jacob Zuma, who is not bound by the Ethics Code, which covers Members of Parliament (see City Pressreport).

The Executive Members Ethics Act makes it clear that Members of the Executive should be prohibited from undertaking any other paid work; acting in a way that is inconsistent with their office; and exposing themselves to any situation involving the risk of a conflict between their official responsibilities and their private interests. 

The committee must satisfy itself that these conditions have been abided by, specifically with reference to the new Ethics Code, which will come before the House for consideration today, 29 July 2014.

To assist in ensuring that all these interests are declared timeously, the DA will also submit parliamentary questions to all implicated ministers, as well as the President, to receive clarity on:

The details of the business interest in question;

The income being generated off of these business interests;

Whether the business in question has tendered, or is currently in the process of bidding for a tender, with the state; and

Whether the relevant members of the executive will resign their business interests voluntarily, and if so, by when.

In 2010, the DA-run Western Cape signed into law the Business Interests of Employees Act. The Act regulates all State employees, including members of the Western Cape Executive, in so far as their business dealings with the State are concerned. This was to proactively prevent corruption and impropriety.

The national government should learn from this determination to fight corruption and emulate the DA. The first step towards doing this would be to allow for a full investigation by Parliament and a public declaration of all interests - as a matter of urgency. 

Statement issued by Anchen Dreyer MP, Parliamentary Caucus Chairperson & DA member on Ethics Committee, July 29 2014

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