Cape Town, South Africa — Deputy President Paul Mashatile has pushed back against rising calls for transparency around his personal finances, stating that he will not publicly disclose his financial interests beyond what is required by Parliament.
Speaking amid mounting scrutiny over public officials’ financial affairs, Mashatile said he is in full compliance with legislative requirements, and that the Register of Members’ Interests—a confidential declaration process overseen by Parliament—sufficiently addresses accountability concerns.
🛑 “I Will Follow the Rules — No More, No Less”
“I have declared what I am required to declare,” Mashatile said firmly. “Parliament has a process for this, and I am adhering to that process. There is no obligation for me to make these disclosures public beyond that.”
His remarks come as civil society organisations, transparency advocates, and several opposition parties demand greater financial transparency from executive members, especially in the wake of recent corruption scandals and lifestyle audits.
🔍 Public Trust vs. Privacy
Critics argue that given his high-ranking position, Mashatile’s financial transparency is crucial to safeguarding public trust and ensuring ethical governance. Groups like Corruption Watch and OUTA have urged Cabinet members to voluntarily go beyond minimum legal requirements.
“There’s a growing expectation that political leaders should lead by example,” said a political ethics analyst. “Relying solely on closed parliamentary processes no longer satisfies public demand for openness.”
📜 Legal but Contested
Under current law, Members of Parliament must submit financial disclosures to Parliament’s ethics committee, but these declarations are not automatically made public unless specified by the committee. Executive members—including ministers and deputies—are not legally bound to make such declarations openly unless they choose to do so.
Opposition leaders are now calling for reforms to the Ethics Code, including provisions for public financial disclosures by all Cabinet members.
