/ 13 May 2001

Tony keeps his wheels, for now …

MARIANNE MERTEN, Cape Town | Friday

WE are divided and we will remain divided. Lets vote and go home, an African National Congress member of Parliaments ethics committee proposed.

And for the first time ever the committee voted – mostly along party political lines.

Minutes earlier Pan Africanist Congress MP Patricia de Lille had also called for a show of hands. Her request that ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni be called before them was taken up by other opposition parties, but repeatedly shot down by the ANC.

The historic vote ended two hours of deliberations whether Yengeni had fully declared his interests and benefits regarding his Milnerton home and the alleged free use of his luxury 4×4 Mercedes Benz ML320 for seven months until May 1999.

Yengeni has maintained he believed he did not have to declare the house again after listing it in 1996 and that the luxury sports utility car was legitimately purchased and thus was not a benefit to be declared.

I am not legally obliged to furnish any information that is sought purely on a witch-hunt basis … I am willing to subject myself to the rules of Parliament correctly applied, he wrote to the registrar of members interests, Fazela Mahomed, last month.

Wednesdays ethics committee proceedings were observed by several senior ANC MPs such as deputy chief whip Geoff Doidge and finance committee chair Barbara Hogan.

There was little agreement beyond Yengeni having transgressed Parliaments code of ethics by failing to declare his Milnerton home in the years after 1996 and that there should be an investigation regarding the luxury 4×4.

All parties agreed with the registrars recommendation that any alleged impropriety linked to the multibillion-rand arms deal should be left to the current probe and that investigators be asked to report to the committee.

The first vote decided that Yengeni would be asked to supply the missing property details. The PAC and Democratic Alliance MPs remained opposed. In the second vote the ANC, supported by the Inkatha Freedom Party, carried the proposal by its MP Jeremy Cronin that any action regarding the Mercedes Benz should be delayed until the arms deal joint investigation team finalised its report.

It will be redundant to run a parallel investigation, said Cronin. It is our belief that this extensive, comprehensive, professional and tri-pronged investigation process that is currently under way is dealing with all the matters we are interested in and others.

But United Democratic Movement MP Annelize van Wyk argued the committee could not delegate its responsibilities. The rumour itself is putting a shadow of doubt over this institution.

In the face of such criticism, Cronin and other ANC MPs said it was wrong to suggest a dereliction of duty. The committee would still deal with the matter once the arms deal investigation was completed in July.

The probe followed a report by Auditor General Shauket Fakie to Parliament last October indicating inconsistencies with generally accepted arms procurement procedures.

In the political fallout over the public accounts committees drive for an investigation into the R50bn arms acquisitions, the ANC closed ranks in an apparent effort to assert control in the committee.

ANC MP Andrew Feinstein was relieved from co-chairing the public accounts committee and heading the corresponding ANC study group when he bucked the party line on who should investigate. Subsequently party political tensions surfaced in the committee, a crucial watchdog over how the government spends money, which had previously worked towards consensus decisions.

The investigation by the auditor general, public protector and Investigative Directorate for Serious Economic Offices is expected to hold public hearings in Pretoria from the end of this month.

ZA*NOW:

‘Two fingers’ Tony stands firm May 9, 2001

Yengeni summonsed to explain assets April 20, 2001

ANC draws veil over Yengeni affair April 14, 2001

So who else got a new Merc? April 9, 2001

New evidence of arms skulduggery April 2, 2001

German engineering … where you need it most April 8, 2001

Tony comes out swinging April 1, 2001

Reluctant Yengeni protests innocence March 29, 2001

Tony, youre on your own March 27, 2001

Yo, Tony, whered you get the 4×4? March 26, 2001

Yengenis mysterious Merc March 25, 2001

FEATURES

Yengeni owes thousands in unpaid municipal rates April 24, 2001

Govt asks media for ‘a bit of space’ April 6, 2001

Benz man won arms bid March 30, 2001

Yengeni has little to fear from the law March 30, 2001

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