Sunday, August 3, 2025 - South Africa’s Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, is under scrutiny after failing to declare a diamond gift received by his wife from a jailed gem dealer.
The controversy adds to mounting pressure on President Cyril
Ramaphosa to address corruption within the ruling African National Congress
(ANC), especially among key government figures
Defending himself on Friday, August 1, Mashatile claimed he
was unaware that the gem had come from Louis Liebenberg, a dealer currently
imprisoned on charges including theft and money laundering. He said the diamond
was handed over to authorities once the origin was discovered.
“I asked my office to check the present. We later found out
the donor was someone we weren't comfortable with,” he said. “The gift wasn’t
for me; it was for my wife. But I don’t want her accepting anything from
someone whose integrity is in question.
On Thursday, Parliament’s ethics committee fined Mashatile
10,000 rands (approximately $550) for not disclosing the gift. The exact value
of the diamond remains unknown
President Ramaphosa, who has recently taken action against
other officials accused of misconduct, stated that Mashatile must account for
his actions. “We will need to wait for him to provide answers to all these
questions,” he told reporters.
The deputy president is also facing criticism for not
declaring a luxury home in Cape Town reportedly valued at over a million
dollars. He denied ownership of the property, saying, “That house is owned by
my son-in-law. So, what’s the problem?”
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