Deputy President Paul Mashatile during the question-and-answer session in the National Assembly on Thursday.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile was haunted by the diamond gift his wife received from businessman Louis Liebenberg when he answered oral questions in the National Assembly on Thursday.
The diamond gift, for which Mashatile was reprimanded and fined R10,000 by Parliament for failing to disclose in the confidential section of the register of financial interests, cropped up in supplementary questions by DA deputy chief whip Baxolile Nodada, when Mashatile was asked whether he found it unfitting for ministers not to declare luxury gifts received from foreign governments.
The question was related to the reports that former Social Development minister Sisisi Tolashe failed to declare in Parliament the vehicles she received from the Chinese on behalf of the ANC Women’s League.
Mashatile said the government's position was very clear that transparency and accountability are non-negotiable.
