Parliament urged to review executive ethics act

PARLIAMENT is under pressure to comply with the remedial action of former public protector Thuli Madonsela to amend the code of conduct for members of the executive.

This happened after it failed to meet the six-month deadline Madonsela ordered in her state capture report.

Madonsela ordered Parliament to review, within 180 days, the Executive Members’ Ethics Act to provide better guidance regarding integrity, including avoidance and management of conflict of interest. “This should clearly define responsibilities of those in authority regarding a proper response to whistle-blowing and whistle-blowers.”

President Jacob Zuma has taken the report on judicial review after Madonsela ordered that Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng should appoint a judge for the inquiry. But Zuma felt that Madonsela overstepped her mark since he has the power to appoint a commission of inquiry.

The report on the remedial action was only considered by the justice and correctional services committee last week, months after Speaker Baleka Mbete referred the report.

Mbete wrote to the committee again on June 14 after the organisation requested an update. The Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac) recently called on Mbete and the portfolio committee to deal with the review of the Executive Members’ Ethics Act.

DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said: “The Speaker’s office did her job. In this case it is the chairperson of that committee who failed to meet the deadline.”