Deputy President Paul Mashatile Responds to Gift‑Declaration Questions
DA MP Baxolile Nodada’s Inquiry
During a National Assembly question session, Democratic Alliance MP Baxolile Nodada asked whether it is wrong for Cabinet members to keep quiet about luxury gifts from foreign governments. He wanted to know what the government plans to do when such gifts are not declared.
Mashatile’s Stance on Transparency
Mashatile made it clear that honesty and responsibility are non‑negotiable. He pointed out that the Executive Members’ Ethics Code requires every minister to report any gift above the set limit, especially if it comes from another country.
He added that the code also says a public official must not accept any reward, benefit, or gift that tries to sway their duties in a corrupt way.
Mashatile reminded MPs that Parliament’s own Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members’ Interests obliges them to reveal private interests so personal gain does not clash with public duty.
Leader of Government Business’s Commitment
As Leader of Government Business, Mashatile said he will keep pushing for strict compliance with ethical rules. He promised to back any process needed to enforce the codes, including sending cases to the proper ethics authorities when necessary.
Why Sisisi Tolashe Was Removed
President Cyril Ramaphosa fired former Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe after she could not give a satisfactory explanation about two Chinese luxury vehicles allegedly donated to the ANC Women’s League.
- The vehicles are a white and a yellow BAIC Beijing X55 SUV, each worth roughly R400,000–R500,000.
- They were said to have been given by Chinese representatives in late 2023.
- Tolashe is accused of having the cars registered under her children’s names.
Opposition parties, including ActionSA and the DA, filed criminal cases in Cape Town and asked Parliament’s portfolio committee to investigate possible maladministration in her department. DA leader Geordin Hill‑Lewis even wrote to Ramaphosa on 30 April demanding her dismissal.
Acting Minister and Other Allegations
Sindisiwe Chikunga, the minister in the Presidency for women, youth and persons with disabilities, has been appointed acting minister of social development while a permanent replacement is sought.
Additional claims against Tolashe include:
- Extending her department director‑general’s contract.
- Appointing 22‑year‑old Lesedi Mabiletja as acting chief of staff; Mabiletja is the niece of Tolashe’s special adviser, Ngwako Kgatla.
- Using a state‑funded food aide to work at her private home in the Eastern Cape, with the aide allegedly paying half of her R15,000 monthly salary to Tolashe’s daughter for household expenses.
Tolashe has denied all wrongdoing, saying departmental procedures handled the appointments and that she was not involved in the aide’s payment arrangement.
DA’s Reaction and Further Calls
In a follow‑up question, Nodada said the DA welcomed Tolashe’s removal but argued it was not enough. He called for a outright ban on accepting personal luxury gifts.
Nodada also raised concerns about Mashatile, mentioning allegations that a diamond was given to his wife by diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg, who faces fraud, racketeering, and money‑laundering charges. He linked Mashatile to businessman Edwin Sodi as well.
The Ethics Committee had previously reprimanded Mashatile and fined him R10,000 for not disclosing the diamond in the confidential part of his financial‑interest register. Mashatile said he was waiting for a professional appraisal before declaring its value and had surrendered the diamond to the National Prosecuting Authority, but the committee insisted he should have disclosed it earlier.
Mashatile’s Defense of Accountability Processes
Mashatile defended the steps taken in Tolashe’s case, noting that she appeared before the Ethics Committee, the ANC Integrity Commission, and the president. He said accountability did kick in and praised the president for acting once the explanation was deemed unsatisfactory.
He stressed that ethical rules apply to everyone equally:
“Nobody is above the law. Not the president, not the deputy president, not ministers, not members of Parliament.”
He added that the president’s first reaction to the Phala Phala scandal was to let Parliament handle it, showing respect for the process.
Phala Phala Scandal Update
Mashatile referenced the ongoing Phala Phala controversy involving President Ramaphosa. The Constitutional Court recently declared Rule 129I of the National Assembly’s rules unconstitutional, overturning Parliament’s December 2022 decision not to send the Section 89 independent panel report on Ramaphosa’s conduct to an impeachment committee.
The panel, led by former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, found that Ramaphosa had questions to answer about the theft of $580,000 hidden in a sofa at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo in February 2020. Ramaphosa denies any wrongdoing, calling the report flawed, and says he will not resign despite opposition calls. He is now seeking permission from the Office of the Chief Justice to launch a judicial review of the Section 89 report, as required under Section 47 of the Superior Courts Act because judges served on the panel.
Conclusion
The episode highlights how seriously South Africa’s leadership is taking transparency and accountability. Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s responses make it clear that gifts from foreign entities must be declared, and any breach of ethical codes will be dealt with through the proper channels. While the dismissal of Sisisi Tolashe shows consequences for non‑compliance, opposition parties continue to push for stricter rules—such as banning personal luxury gifts altogether—to protect public trust. As the Phala Phala saga unfolds, the balance between parliamentary oversight and executive responsibility remains a key topic for the nation’s democratic health.
