Deputy President Paul Mashatile will be reprimanded by the National Assembly and fined R10, 000 after Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests found that he failed to declare a diamond gift he had received, which he gave to his wife.
Co-chairpersons, Lusizo Makhubela and Henni Britz, said Mashatile breached the Code of Ethical Conduct and Members’ Interests by not disclosing the gift in the confidential part of his financial interests register.
Gift from businessman Louis Liebenberg
They said said the diamond came from businessman Louis Liebenberg.
“The committee, through the Office of the Registrar, received a formal complaint against Deputy President on 5 March 2025 for an alleged breach of the Code of Ethical Conduct and Members’ Interests,” they said.
They said MPs are required under item 13(3)(f) of the code to declare gifts received by immediate family members. The committee found that Mashatile failed to meet this obligation. Even though he claimed he was waiting for the diamond’s appraisal before declaring it.
“While the committee noted the Member’s response, among others, that he was waiting for the appraisal of the diamond to determine its value before a declaration was made and that he has since surrendered the gift to the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA], the committee contended that ethical behaviour required that the gift be declared, with the value disclosed at a later stage,” they said.
Parliament’s credibility
“The committee remains steadfast in its quest to ensure accountability of all Members of Parliament as demanded by the code. The disclosure process not only facilitates public trust in Parliament but also enhances its credibility,” they add.
DA chief whip, George Michalakis, said the diamond has been handed over to the NPA.
“There are also questions around the legality of this diamond, its nature, source and certification. These questions will be asked both to the deputy president and the Department of Justice.
“The exact nature of the relationship between the deputy president, his wife, and Mr Liebenberg that led to the visit at the deputy president’s home in November 2023 also requires immediate investigation,” said Michalakis.
He said it was concerning that the deputy president had been so negligent in failing to declare his assets as required by law.
R28.9m mansion
He added that this finding came just days after reports revealed that the deputy president had also not declared a R28.9-million Constantia home in Cape Town, despite two years of denial.
These repeated failures, he said, raise serious questions about the deputy president’s commitment to transparency and ethics. Also about whether there are other undeclared assets still hidden from the public.
