From carpets to computers, the public register reveals what gifts MPs have received – or in some cases what they haven’t received. Rehana Rossouw reports
ALMOST all the visitors to room V121 in Parliament this week were journalists eager to peek at the assets of South Africa’s elected leaders. If they were hoping for evidence of improprieties, bribes, payoffs and conflicts of interests, they were disappointed.
But the register does make for interesting reading. And with members of Parliament now required by law to disclose all assets and financial interests, it acts as a check on any MP likely to be wooed by an expensive gift or swayed by financial interest in a company.
For instance, the register shows that Education Minister Sibusiso Bengu owns 1 000 shares, valued at R1 each, in the Reach Out Publishing Company, raising the question of whether the company publishes school textbooks or educational materials.
Bengu’s spokesman said the minister was a founder member of the company in the 1970s and had been a member of the board. After being elected to Parliament, he quit his position on the board but retained his shares.
“On the advice of the executive director of the company, the minister did not think it necessary to cede his shares as the company is not a major publisher of educational material,” said Mali. “But if at any point anyone raises objections to his shareholding, he is willing to relinquish them.”
The register opened for the first time last week. By law MPs and senators must list, for perusal by the public, all financial interests, including any extra- parliamentary remuneration, directorships, gifts valued at more than R350, property and pensions. A separate confidential register, to be seen only by Water Affairs Minister Kader Asmal’s parliamentary ethics committee and the registrar, contains greater financial detail, and information on immediate families. MPs who fail to list all their financial interests – and are caught – are to be fined.
The public register offers some pointers about lifestyles of the MPs and ministers, notably their lack of material possessions.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela writes “have nothing to declare” when asked about shares, employment outside Parliament, directorships, consultancies and partnerships. She states “have no such gifts”, “have no such benefits” and “have no such travel” when asked about those. Asked whether she owns any land and property, she says no. The mansion in Soweto must belong to someone else.
Adelaide Tambo lists two properties – one in London valued at 300 000 (approximately R2,1 million). She records that son Dali gives her a little something each month to help with the upkeep of the family home.
The National Party’s Sheila Camerer is either more transparent or a shrewd investor. She owns shares in 19 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
Democratic Party MPs in general dabble more in the stock market.
In the travel department, Colin Eglin reveals that he attended a meeting of Liberal International in the United Kingdom in 1996, and all costs were borne by HF Oppenheimer.
ANC MP Peter Mokaba is pinning his hopes on the performance of the Headlines Hair Salon, which he owns.
Parliamentarians’ lists of gifts are good reading.
Deputy Defence Minister Ronnie Kasrils received a bust of Alexander the Great valued at R600 from the Greek Ministry of Defence. Defence Minister Joe Modise says he got nothing.
Foreign Affairs Minister Alfred Nzo has a lion skin valued at R4 500, but he cannot remember who gave it to him.
Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting Minister Jay Naidoo has three cellphones, two from Vodacom and one from Ericsson.
Minerals and Energy Minister Penuell Maduna got “one piece of carpet” from President Rafsanjani of Iran, value unknown.
South African Breweries gave Public Service and Administration Minister Zola Skweyiya five cases of beer for Christmas.
Justice Minister Dullah Omar’s staff gave him a jersey for his birthday. He declared it.
The host who gave the most was the Taiwanese government, which paid for most of our parliamentarians’ excursions abroad and bought them gifts while they were there. They still lost out in the diplomatic race against China.
The Taiwanese vice-president gave Thabo Mbeki a notebook computer and printer valued at R10 000. Nzo got a Sanyo mini music system from the Taiwanese foreign minister valued at R1 400. He also got a platinum Seiko wristwatch worth R2 000.
The Defence Ministry of Taiwan gave Kasrils a Pentax camera worth R1 500. He also got a jade carving (R1 200) and ceramic camel (R800) from the Taiwanese armed forces.
Maduna got one trip paid for by the Taiwanese government. Correctional Services Minister Sipo Mzimela attended conferences on freedom and democracy in Taiwan, in January 1995 and January 1996.
Deputy speaker Baleka Kgotsitsile got a Technics CD player from the vice-president of Taiwan.
She lists the total value of all her
gifts, including this one, at less than R350.
The Taiwanese gave the ANC’s new chief whip Max Sisulu a wristwatch, a vase, a camera, a radio, a Phillips CD and a cassette player with a total value of R3 000.
Sisulu also visited Taiwan courtesy of the Department of Foreign Affairs. He was part of a six-person delegation which also visited the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese government gave them nothing.