Gayton McKenzie, Velenkosini Hlabisa, John Steenhuisen were cleared of any wrongdoing by the parliament’s ethics committee.
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Parliament’s Ethics Committee has cleared three Cabinet ministers, including Cooperative Governance Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen of wrongdoing, ruling that complaints lodged against them were either baseless or fell outside its legal authority.
The committee announced on Wednesday that it had finalised its review of allegations against political figures, as well as two Members of Parliament.
Also named in the complaints were Carol Phiri, who chairs the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, and Oscar Matafa.
“… the complaints lodged against them are not competent to be determined by the committee for lack of jurisdiction.”
McKenzie was accused of misusing state funds and lying to Parliament.
Steenhuisen was accused of lying about staff qualifications, including the appointment of unqualified individuals like Roman Cabanac.
According to the committee in a statement, the allegations were either “unfounded”, lacking sufficient evidence or “not competent to be determined” due to jurisdictional limits.
While some complaints were dismissed outright, others were effectively declined because they fell outside the committee’s mandate, potentially leaving room for other institutions to intervene.
The committee’s findings do not necessarily equate to innocence.
In its statement, the committee reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing the parliamentary code of conduct, stressing that accountability remains central to its work.
However, the outcome also highlighted the limits of parliamentary oversight mechanisms, especially in complex cases that may straddle ethical, legal, and political boundaries.
The full findings will be published in Parliament’s official Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports (ATC), ensuring public access to the committee’s reasoning, the committee said.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
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