Part of a Cabinet minister’s job is to meet counterparts from other countries in search of common ground by way of memoranda of understanding, bilateral agreements and other diplomatic tools.
In the case of Angie Motshekga, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s choice as defence and military veterans minister in his government of national unity (GNU) Cabinet, she met with five foreign defence ministers in her first four months in office as proved by gifts of plaques. In addition she was given two plaques for her to “remember” the SA Military Health Service (SAMHS), along with a R350 “hall watch [presumably a clock]”, and Defence Intelligence, which also saw fit to give the minister R400 worth of flowers. The defence ministers’ plaques come from, in alphabetical order, France, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania and Thailand. Their value, as per her submission for the register, is R2 050.
The items are listed in the latest available Parliament of South Africa Register of Members’ Interests under “gifts and hospitality”. The register covers the period from the swearing-in of GNU Cabinet ministers in July this year to October.
Other “gifts and hospitality” listed by democratic South Africa’s fourth woman defence and military veterans minister are a book “SA Army 2022/23: A Pictorial Journey”, while a portrait of Lieutenant General Wiseman Mbambo was given to her by the SA Air Force (SAAF). Other gifts came from SA Army Chief, Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, in the form of a book, flowers, plates and “a small bag” valued at R600, as well as flowers and a “hut” from the chair of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Spouses Forum.
When it comes to shares, work outside Parliament, directorships, consultancies sponsorships, benefits and interest free loans and travel, Motshekga informed the register’s compilers she has “nothing to disclose”.
Retired two-star general Bantu Holomisa, one of two deputy defence and military veterans ministers, lists caps, key holders, diaries, pen sets as well as a gold plate, Swedish bowls and traditional Chinese bowls as well as a model aircraft, a model submarine and a model ship as gifts without putting any value on them.
Second deputy minister Richard Hlophe, also known as Richard Mkhungo, did not respond to the request for information to be published in the register.
In the Parliamentary opposition benches there are a number of parliamentarians who serve on one of the three defence oversight committees – Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD), Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) and Select Committee on Security and Justice.
Three Democratic Alliance (DA) Members of Parliament (MPs) – Nicholas Gotsell, Chris Hattingh and Maliyakhe Shelembe – all ticked the “nothing to disclose” boxes. Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Carl Niehaus went the same route with the exception of consultancies and retainerships (sic) where he noted “public relations and media in personal capacity”.
Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) MP Russel Cebekulu was another “nothing to disclose” as were MKP (uMkhonto we Sizwe Party) public representatives Edward Ntshingila or Des van Rooyen.
Daily Maverick reports Moloto Mothapo of Parliament Communication Services saying disclosure of assets [by MPs] is “effectively an honour system”.
“The disclosure system requires of MPs to act truthfully and with integrity when disclosing their financial and registrable interests,” the digital publication reports him saying with the rider “since MPs input their own information into the system, there is potential for typographical errors or unintentional omissions during the data entry process”.
