South Africa’s Deputy President Paul Mashatile is under fire after failing to declare a diamond gifted to his wife by a jailed gem dealer, raising fresh concerns over transparency and accountability among top government officials.
The controversy comes amid mounting pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa to address corruption within the ruling African National Congress (ANC), particularly among senior figures.
On Thursday, Parliament’s ethics committee fined Mashatile 10,000 rand (approximately $550) for not disclosing the gift, the value of which remains undisclosed. The diamond was reportedly given by Louis Liebenberg, a prominent businessman jailed in October 2023 on charges of theft and money laundering.
Mashatile, speaking to reporters on Friday, claimed he was unaware of the gift’s origin until recently and returned it to authorities once he learned of the link to Liebenberg. “I asked my office, can we please go and check this present?” he said. “In the course of that, we found out that the person who made the donation, we’re not quite happy with. The present was not for me, it was for my wife, but I don’t want her accepting something from somebody who may be questionable.”
President Ramaphosa, who has recently taken action against other ministers embroiled in misconduct, including firing the higher education minister and suspending the police minister — responded cautiously. “We will need to wait for [Mashatile] to provide answers to all these questions,” he said on Friday.
Mashatile is also facing separate allegations of failing to declare a luxury Cape Town residence reportedly worth over $1 million. Responding to the claims, he said, “That house is owned by my son-in-law. So, what’s the problem?”
The developments have sparked fresh calls for stricter enforcement of ethics rules among government leaders, as Ramaphosa struggles to maintain public trust in the ANC ahead of upcoming political challenges.
Written By Rodney Mbua
