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.
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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?”
