THE Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests has recused four of its members as it deals with the extortion complaint laid by the suspended Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane against four members of parliament.
The members who have been recused are EFF leader Julius Malema, ANC MPs Bekizwe Nkosi and Violet Siwela, as well as DA MP Mimmy Gondwe.
The committee took this decision on Monday, 12 June.
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“The Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests met today and received a briefing from the Acting Registrar of Members’ Interests, Adv Anthea Gordon on the complaints laid by the Public Protector, Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane against Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson (subsequently deceased), Mr Richard Dyantyi, Ms Pemmy Majodina and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula,” the committee said in a statement.
It said Mkhwebane's complaint was on the ongoing agenda of the committee.
"The committee noted that four of its members serve on the committee for Section 194 Inquiry.
The four members, Mr Bekizwe Nkosi, Mr Julius Malema, Ms Violet Siwela and Ms Mimmy Gondwe have been recused from the committee for the purpose of the complaints by the Public Protector.
"This is to ensure that the process before the committee is fair, ethical, and conducted with integrity,” read the statement.
Mkhwebane and her husband, Mandla Skosana, are expected to reveal for the first time on Tuesday 13 June, the audio recordings which will confirm that three ANC MPs - Joemat-Pettersson, Dyantyi and Majodina - tried to extort a R600 000 bribe from them.
The MPs allegedly told Skosana that they would make the inquiry into Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office “go away”.
The committee said it will process the complaints in line with the provisions of the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosures of Members’ Interests and will, at its next meeting, engage on the substance of the complaints.
