Lekota escapes with a slap on the wrist

Parliament’s joint ethics committee on Thursday sanctioned Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota for failing to comply with the provisions of the parliamentary code of conduct in not disclosing certain business interests as reported in the Mail & Guardian on Friday.

After meeting to discuss the issue, committee chairperson Luwellyn Landers said the committee found Lekota was negligent in making incomplete disclosures of his interests.

“The committee, however, found that there was no evidence that the minister wilfully withheld information with the intention to mislead Parliament. The committee is therefore sanctioning his negligence,” Landers said.

The committee recommended that Speaker Dr Frene Ginwala issue a written reprimand to Lekota and that he be fined one week’s (seven days) salary.

Landers said that in making the recommendations, the committee wanted to emphasise that members of parliament, as elected public representatives, had an obligation to be transparent, and should take the provisions of the code seriously.

“The committee noted the promptness with which minister Lekota responded, his own admission of a casualness in regard to disclosure, and his co-operative demeanour. The committee was unanimous in its findings,” he said.

Last week, opposition parties called for Lekota to be brought to book after it emerged that he had interests in a fuel distribution agency and a wine cellar in the Free State.

The Mail & Guardian reported that Lekota held shares in Prestprops, which trades as BZL Petroleum. The company distributes Caltex diesel products to farmers and businessmen in Harrismith and Bethlehem.

Lekota was also a director of the Landzicht winery in the province, and a director of the holding company, GWK Corporation.

He reportedly admitted to having failed to declare his interests to Parliament as required by law.

The Mail & Guardian quoted him as saying: “It was my intention to disclose my interests. It is accurate that in practice I did not disclose.”

He told the newspaper he intended pulling out of the company. – Sapa