Ethics committee must investigate Mabe

Reports in City Press that Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interest (Ethics Committee) has still not decided whether to investigate ANC MP, Pule Mabe's potential Executive Members Ethics Act and Code of Conduct violations is unacceptable and highly hypocritical.

In August this year, Mr Mabe and his company KG Media were detrimentally implicated in the Public Protector, Adv Thuli Madonsela’s report on irregularities at Passenger Rail Association South Africa (PRASA), Derailed.

According to City Press at least two attempts to raise the Public Protector’s report in the committee were dismissed because the committee chairperson, Amos Masondo, thinks that the 385-page report is “too big” to print.

This investigation is far too important to simply fall off the roll because the committee chair hasn’t considered duplex printing. Tomorrow, I will lay a formal complaint and provide the committee members printed copies of Derailed if need be. 

Once the Ethics Committee was lauded as one that combated corruption in Parliament and held all MPs accountable. However, lately it tends to only take action when the opposition can be persecuted. 

The Ethics Committee’s stalling is making only Parliament complicit in Mr Mabe crimes with every day his investigation delayed, and it is time Mr Masondo finally fulfills his committee's mandate.

Issued by John Steenhuisen, DA Chief Whip, 4 October 2015