The Democratic Alliance has asked Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana to investigate whether Deputy President Jacob Zuma contravened code under the Executive Ethics Act.
The charge sheet against Zuma’s financial adviser, businessman Schabir Shaik, alleged the deputy president benefited from his association with Shaik, and this had to be investigated, DA Chief Whip Douglas Gibson said.
In his letter to Mushwana, Gibson said in terms of the code, the financial interests, including liabilities, of Cabinet members had to be disclosed.
The secretary of Cabinet had to keep a register of all financial interests disclosed by members, which had a confidential part and a public part.
Access to the confidential part of the register was limited to the president, designated staff and the public protector, he said.
”For this reason I am writing to you to enquire into the particulars of the register concerning Mr Jacob Zuma’s disclosure in terms of the Act.
”There have been numerous allegations concerning the deputy president’s lifestyle and further allegations that his expenditure far exceeds his income.
”This must have been financed by some means and it is important to determine whether those means were declared,” Gibson said. — Sapa