/ 31 October 2015

Maimane, DA MPs must be punished for not declaring donations – ANC

Mmusi Maimane and 10 others should face harsh sanctions for not disclosing campaign donations.
Mmusi Maimane and 10 others should face harsh sanctions for not disclosing campaign donations.

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane and 10 other DA Members of Parliament should face harsh sanctions for failing to declare all campaign donations, the ANC said in a statement.

This after DA chief whip John Steenhuisen admitted on Thursday that 11 MPs had not declared campaign donations for the party’s May elective conference.

Steenhuisen told Business Day that it was merely an oversight, and that the members had since submitted their full declarations.

ANC chief whip spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the party would ask the ethics committee to thoroughly investigate the conduct of the 11 DA MPs.

“To ensure that appropriate sanctions are imposed as punishment for such serious violation of the ethical code. The DA’s sudden bout of conscience is not enough and cannot simply make such a grave transgression disappear,” said Mothapo.

He rubbished Steenhuisen’s claim that it was an oversight.

“For the DA to claim its MPs’ conduct was a mere ‘oversight’ and that they will now disclose, only after we publicly exposed the matter, clearly shows there was a deliberate attempt on the part of the transgressing DA MPs to withhold their financial interests from Parliament.

“Such conduct, as the ethics committee often asserts, constitutes an abuse of public trust.” – News24