Pretoria – Ratepayers in the capital are being denied the right to know the financial interests of members of council, including political office bearers, and the gifts they receive despite warnings that failure to declare these would have dire consequences for councillors.
At the last council sitting, Speaker Morakane Mosupyoe-Letsholo warned all members to declare their financial interests or risk having action taking against them in terms of the regulations.
The Pretoria News subsequently asked the city to reveal what its political office bearers had declared.
The request specifically related to the financial interests and gifts of executive mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, Mosupyoe-Letsholo, chief whip of the council Jabu Mabona, DA leader Gert Pretorius and chief whip of the official opposition party, Marietha Aucamp.
However, the request was denied.
The city said it had not determined which interests were confidential and which were public.
City councillors for all municipalities and members of provincial governments and Parliament have to abide by a code of conduct which requires them to declare their financial interests and gifts.
The code of conduct for councillors determines that every councillor must within 60 days of being elected or appointed, declare in writing to the city manager their financial interests.
The councillors are also required to declare in writing any change in the nature or detail of their financial interests each year.
Last week, the City of Johannesburg made its register of assets and gifts available for inspection on its website by anyone who is interested…….
Full report here: Assets of Tshwane’s rulers remain a secret – Gauteng.
