DA bid for Zuma audit blocked

ANC MPs closed ranks in the National Assembly on Wednesday to block a DA-sponsored proposal that would have required President Jacob Zuma’s declared financial interests – and those of his family members – to be independently scrutinised by the auditor-general.

DA MP Athol Trollip had hoped to make legislative history by becoming the first opposition member since 1994 to successfully introduce a Private Members’ Legislative Proposal in Parliament. But the ANC rejected the plan out of hand.

Trollip had suggested that a new bill be considered to “address the fact that the president is subject to no one but himself” regarding his annual declaration of financial interests.

The Executive Members’ Ethics Code requires all members of the executive at national and provincial level to disclose their financial interests, assets and liabilities – as well as those of their spouses, permanent companions and dependent children – within 60 days of taking office.

Zuma fell foul of this requirement in 2010 when, more than six months after he became president, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found he had failed to fully declare his interests on time. Madonsela however noted that the code was ambiguous in several respects, including in that it did not specify who the president should report to.

Nevertheless, Zuma was found to have been in breach of the code – for which he later expressed “regret”.

Madonsela found there had been a “systematic pattern of non-compliance” with the code by Zuma and several members of his executive and recommended that the cabinet “urgently attend to the matter”. Despite repeated assurances from the executive that a new code was on the way, it has yet to see the light of day.

Madonsela also pointed out that her predecessors had found similar transgressions by members of the cabinet going back to 2005.

Just this week, Zuma told MPs he believed it was okay for politicians to dabble in business – even state-linked business. DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko asked Zuma on Wednesday whether he would support plans to ban political parties – or associated investment firms – from doing business with the state.

Zuma responded: “If we have a company established… following the necessary procedures, rules and laws… (that then) wins the tender… is that corruption?” Excluding politicians from doing business, he said, would be “discriminating simply because they are politicians”. - Cape Argus