By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former transport minister Dipuo Peters has been suspended from her seat in all parliamentary debates and sittings, committee meetings, functions, and operations.
Peters is currently the deputy minister of small business development.
The suspension comes after the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests found Peters guilty of various transgressions committed during her tenure as Transport minister.
It recommended that the former Transport Minister be barred from her seat in all parliamentary debates and sittings as well as committee meetings for one term, which usually runs for eight to 10 weeks according to Parliament’s 2023 programme framework.
The complaints alleged that Peters was neglectful when she failed to appoint a group CEO for Prasa and that she dismissed the entity’s board after it instituted an investigation.
This investigation uncovered R14 billion in irregular expenditure.
Another complaint was that Peters failed to investigate R79 million paid by Prasa to Swifambo for alleged distribution to the ANC.
It was also alleged that she had used Prasa buses for ANC events during 2014 and 2015 without ensuring payment from the party.
The committee found that Peters failed to act on all occasions in accordance with the public trust placed in her and discharge her obligations by placing the public interest above her own interests when she failed to appoint a group CEO after Prasa board’s recruitment process that cost R1 767 000.
It also found that Peters breached the code when she dismissed the Prasa board on the same day former board chairperson Popo Molefe wrote to the transport portfolio committee.
The high court had ruled the dismissal of the board to be irrational, unreasonable and unlawful.
The committee also found that Peters breached the ethics code when she requested Prasa buses to be used for the ANC January 8 celebrations in January 2015, which were not paid for.
In a plenary session on Tuesday, the National Assembly resolved to adopt the committee’s report.
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula confirmed that her suspension in all three breaches will run concurrently.
“The House will be informed of the implementation of the sanction,” the speaker told MPs on Tuesday.
In addition, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu will be docked nine days salary for breaching the ethics code.
Shivambu had failed to declare to the register of members’ interests the three payments totalling R180 000 he received from VBS Mutual Bank in 2017.
He has since vowed to take the report on review.
The process of presidential action on those in his executive named as State Capture implicated in the State Capture Commission report, remains pending.