Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interest
{{Short description|Committee in the Parliament of South Africa}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interest
| image =
| size =
| abbreviation =
| formation = 1999
| formerly =
| purpose = Implementation of the parliamentary code of conduct
| leader_name = Lusizo Makhubela-Mashele (ANC)
Henni Britz (DA)
| leader_title = Chairpersons
| parent_organisation = Parliament of South Africa
}}
The Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interest is a joint committee of the Parliament of South Africa that deals with the ethical conduct of Members of Parliament and the disclosure of their financial interests. Its primary function is to promote and oversee the implementation of the parliamentary code of conduct, including by publishing the annual Register of Members' Interests and conducting disciplinary hearings to investigate allegations of misconduct by Members of Parliament.
In the 27th Parliament, the Committee comprises 14 members from the National Assembly and nine delegates from the National Council of Provinces.{{Cite web |title=Ethics and Members' Interest |url=https://pmg.org.za/committee/77/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=Parliamentary Monitoring Group |language=en}} On 14 November 2024, Lusizo Makhubela-Mashele (of the National Assembly) and Henni Britz (of the National Council of Provinces) were elected as its co-chairpersons.
History and activities
The committee was established in 1999 at the outset of the 23rd Parliament in a merger between the Committee on Ethics (spearheaded by Kader Asmal){{Cite web |date=1995-08-18 |title=Musical chairs of parliamentary committees |url=https://mg.co.za/article/1995-08-18-musical-chairs-of-parliamentary-committees/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} and the Committee on Members' Interests. Bernard Ncube was the inaugural chairperson, with Lawrence Mushwana as her deputy.{{Cite web |date=11 October 1999 |title=Election of chairperson; overview of committee |url=https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/4679/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=Parliamentary Monitoring Group |language=en}}
Since then, the committee has held several high-profile proceedings, including disciplinary investigations into the conduct of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela,{{Cite web |date=2002-08-20 |title=Winnie found guilty by ethics committee |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2002-08-21-winnie-found-guilty-by-ethics-committee/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} Deputy President Jacob Zuma,{{Cite web |date=2003-11-20 |title=Zuma believed cleared by ethics committee |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2003-11-20-zuma-believed-cleared-by-ethics-committee/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} Yolanda Botha,{{Cite web |date=2011-08-25 |title=Parliament's ethics committee eviscerates top ANC MP |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2011-08-25-parliaments-ethics-committee-eviscerates-top-anc-mp/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} and Dina Pule.{{Cite web |date=2013-08-08 |title=Turok assigned bodyguards over Pule investigation |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2013-08-08-turok-assigned-bodyguards-over-dina-pule-investigation/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} In such cases, the Committee makes disciplinary findings and recommends sanctions, but these must be adopted by Parliament in a plenary before they are implemented. The committee has sometimes been criticised as being overly lax in enforcing disciplinary standards.{{Cite web |date=2011-11-18 |title=Ethics bend under pressure |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2011-11-18-ethics-bend-under-pressure/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}
List of chairpersons
Since the outset of the 25th Parliament in 2009, the committee has had two co-chairpersons, one representing the National Assembly and one representing the National Council of Provinces. The following people have served as chairpersons of the committee.
| class="wikitable"
|+Chairpersons of the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interest !Session ! colspan="3" |National Assembly ! colspan="3" |National Council of Provinces !Election date !Citation |
| 28th Parliament
|ANC |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} |DA |{{party color cell|Democratic Alliance (South Africa)}} |14 November 2024 |
|---|
| 27th Parliament
|ANC |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} |ANC |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} |11 September 2019 |
| rowspan="2" |26th Parliament
|ANC |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} | rowspan="2" |Omie Singh | rowspan="2" |ANC |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} |25 October 2018 |
| Amos Masondo
|ANC |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} |8 July 2014 |
| rowspan="2" |25th Parliament
|ANC |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} | rowspan="2" |Buoang Mashile | rowspan="2" |ANC |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} |8 February 2011 |
| Luwellyn Landers
|ANC |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} |27 August 2009 |
| 24th Parliament
|ANC |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} | colspan="3" |None |25 June 2004 |
| 23rd Parliament
|ANC |{{party color cell|African National Congress}} | colspan="3" |None |11 October 1999 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.parliament.gov.za/committee-details/173 Joint Committee on Ethics and Members Interests] at Parliament of South Africa
- [https://pmg.org.za/committee/77/ Ethics and Members' Interest] at Parliamentary Monitoring Group
{{RSAParliamentCommittees|state=collapsed}}