S/Africa Deputy President fined after failure to declare diamond gift

By Steve Akpoghuma

South Africa’s Deputy President, Paul Mashatile has been found guilty by Parliament’s Ethics Committee for failing to declare a diamond gift from businessman Louis Liebenberg, who is currently facing criminal charges.

The committee imposed a R10 000 fine and recommended that Mashatile be formally reprimanded in the National Assembly.

The complaint was submitted in March 2025 by Democratic Alliance (DA) Chief Whip George Michalakis after reviewing Mashatile’s confidential declarations. Mashatile initially told the committee he was awaiting a valuation of the diamond before declaring it.

He later confirmed that he had handed the gift over to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

The development has sparked widespread public reaction on social media, with users calling for greater transparency from public officials.