‘Diamond’ gift to wife haunts deputy president Paul Mashatile

THE DA is gunning for Deputy President Paul Mashatile to provide answers over his failure to declare a diamond gift from businessman Louis Liebenberg to his wife, resulting in Parliament's Ethics Committee recommending that he be fined R10,000.

The committee, through the Office of the Registrar, received a formal complaint against Mashatile on March 5, 2025, for an alleged breach of the Code of Ethical Conduct and Members' Interests.

The code requires Members of Parliament to disclose gifts received by their immediate family in the confidential part of the register.

Following consideration of the complaint and perusal of the confidential part of the Deputy President's disclosed interests, the committee noted that the gift in question - a diamond from Louis Liebenberg - was not disclosed.

The committee said it acknowledged Mashatile's response, which included his claim that he was awaiting the diamond's appraisal to determine its value before making a declaration, and that he has since surrendered the gift to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the committee maintained that ethical behaviour necessitates declaring the gift, with its value to be disclosed at a later stage.

Liebenberg and his wife were arrested at a Gauteng restaurant on the night of October 22 last year after a five-year probe over allegations that Liebenberg operated a diamond syndicate that was involved in dealing with and luring unsuspecting investors to invest in unpolished diamonds through social media platforms. As such, he has been accused of fleecing his investors of more than R4 billion since 2019.

In a parliamentary statement, the committee found that Mashatile breached two sections of the code.

“As a result, the committee will recommend to the National Assembly to impose a reprimand in the House and a fine of R10,000 for a first offence of a breach of the code.

“The committee remained steadfast in its quest to ensure accountability of all Members of Parliament as demanded by the code. The disclosure process not only facilitates public trust in Parliament but also enhances its credibility,” the statement read.

Earlier this week it was reported that Mashatile declared in the register two luxury properties with a combined value of R65 million, despite earning just over R3 million annually.

Mashatile listed the properties, one in Constantia, Cape Town, and another in Waterfall, Midrand, Gauteng, in the latest Parliamentary Register of Members’ Interests.

He had previously said the Constantia estate was owned by his son-in-law’s company.

DA chief whip George Michalakis said the ethics report raises more questions than answers, and the DA will submit Parliamentary questions in this regard.

“What other gifts has the Deputy President and/or his wife received from Mr Liebenberg? What did the Deputy President gift Mr Liebenberg in return for this goodwill? What is the value of the diamond? In this instance, the Deputy President did indicate that his office was in the process of establishing the value, and we look forward to receiving their findings in this regard. There are also questions around the legality of this diamond, its nature, source and certification.”

Liebenberg and his co-accused recently appeared again in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court where his case was once again delayed when his lawyer, Jaco du Plessis, indicated that while he is withdrawing at this stage, he may return if the financial arrangement can be sorted out.

Cape Times