What happens when parliament's ethics committee behaves unethically?

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Sunday Times senior investigative reporter Sabelo Skiti was a guest on Eusebius on TimesLIVE, discussing parliament's ethics committee's decision to exonerate former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize on accusations of violating the parliamentary code of ethics. The committee found that, in essence, Mkhize did not breach the code because his son, who allegedly benefited from a Digital Vibes tender in the health ministry, is not a close family member, as per the definition of close family membership as specified in the code. His adult son, concluded the committee, is not a dependent of the minister and thus the code of ethics is not implicated. The committee also concluded that the former minister cannot be said to have benefited from malfeasance related to renovations at a property in his name since the paper trail does not indict him in his own name but that of some other Mkhize who was doing the transactions, and receiving invoices, related to the renovations. Skiti explained in this podcast episode the factual detail that undermines the ethics committee's counter-intuitive conclusions about Mkhize. When the paper trail, and chronology of events related to the R150 million communications tender scandal, is properly analysed, argues Skiti, it is irresistible to conclude wrongdoing on the part of the former minister. McKaiser and Skiti also discuss the unconvincing narrow interpretation of the code of ethics, agreeing that an exploration of the purpose of the legislation and the intention of the drafters, could easily have enabled the committee to hold the former minister accountable, knowing they are doing so lawfully. They end the podcast by discussing several serious negative implications for both Mkhize and parliament itself resulting from this flagrant disregard of the constitutional duty to provide effective oversight over cabinet. 
19 Apr 2022 English South Africa News Commentary · Politics

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