Hon Speaker, as hon members should be aware, the Executive Ethics Code provides for the disclosure of financial interests and gifts of members of the executive and their spouses, permanent companions, parents and dependant children. Currently, there are no plans to extend this to all family members.
Apart from the obvious question as to who exactly would qualify as family members, it is arguable whether a member of the executive could reasonably be expected to be adequately informed about the financial affairs of all such family members, and whether such family members could in turn be placed under a legal obligation to disclose their financial affairs to the executive. In their wisdom, those who drafted the regulations governing public office bearers realised that we could not subject extended or other family members to rules that apply to their relatives who have chosen to become public office bearers. Like all citizens, those related to public office bearers are entitled to their right to privacy, to work or create work and all other constitutional rights of South Africans. I thank you.