Maimane in firing line over funding

The ANC has Maimane over a barrel regarding donations he received as part of his internal campaign to become party leader.

At the time of the leadership campaign, Maimane boasted about all the money he was raising, but he did not declare it to parliament, which is regarded as a serious offence.

Maimane agreed he had made a mistake, and has since submitted a declaration to the confidential part of the register – but that does not change the fact that the offence was committed.

ANC chief whip Stone Sizani has now laid an official complaint against Maimane, asking for an investigation by the parliamentary ethics committee into donations he had sought for his campaign. Ten other DA MPs will also be investigated for similar possible transgressions.

“The DA has thus far admitted guilt only in relation to MPs Maimane and Makashule Gana, claiming oversight on their part and pleading ignorance of the provisions of the ethics code of conduct.

“The Code is unambiguous as it expressly states that any financial benefits personally received by MPs in excess of R1500 from any source other than a spouse or family member, must be declared, Sizani's spokesman, Moloto Mothapo, noted.

He added that ignorance of the law was no excuse. “Maimane, in particular, is facing a disgraceful scandal of becoming the first parliamentary leader to be found guilty of gross unethical conduct and sanctioned by the ethics committee.”

The DA is now fighting back, accusing the ANC of hypocrisy.

Yesterday, the DA submitted a complaint to the office of the registrar of members' interests against six ANC MPs – Paul Mashatile, Angie Motshekga, Bathabile Dlamini, Pule Mabe, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and Edna Molewa – who ran for leadership positions at various elective conferences this year.

“The DA has acknowledged that not all its MPs submitted a full declaration before the deadline, and took immediate steps to rectify this.

“All our MPs have now submitted full declarations of interest,” said DA chief whip John Steenhuisen.

“That the ANC has made allegations against the DA for an oversight that was speedily remedied is inexplicable and is a demonstration that honest and ethical conduct is not its motivation but rather to besmirch the opposition and distract the South African public from its atrocious record in running clean and transparent elections.

“It is hypocrisy of the highest order for the ANC to pursue a complaint against the DA when so many of its MPs have fallen foul of the ethics code,” Steenhuisen charged.