Parliament this week made public its 2025 Register of Members’ Financial Interests, revealing details of the personal financial holdings and external activities of current South African Members of Parliament (MPs).
RELATED | Parliament’s register: Here’s what Julius Malema declared
MPs are required by law to declare a comprehensive range of financial and non-financial interests, including:
- Shares and equity holdings in public and private companies
- Remunerated roles – such as directorships, partnerships, consultancies, and retainerships
- Outside employment or contractual work outside parliamentary duties
- Sponsorships, gifts, hospitality, and interest-free loans
- Official and private travel
- Property holdings, including rental income-generating assets, land ownership, and trusts
- Pension contributions or entitlements
These disclosures are intended to promote transparency, manage conflicts of interest, and uphold public trust in parliamentary governance.
RELATED | Paul Mashatile’s R28.9 million Constantia home raises eyebrows
Purpose of disclosure
The register aims to:
- Allow the public to scrutinise whether MPs’ outside interests may conflict with legislative responsibilities
- Ensure that policy interventions and votes are not influenced by personal financial gain
- Promote openness and accountability within public representatives
While the register is publicly available, parliamentary ethics oversight bodies will review declarations for potential misalignment with MPs’ official duties.
Allegations of undeclared interests could lead to sanctions or formal inquiries.
Public access
The full register is accessible on Parliament’s official website and through designated public access terminals in parliamentary precincts.
Citizens, journalists, and civil society groups can obtain copies for transparency and research purposes.
Significance
With the register now available, stakeholders across the spectrum – from watchdog organisations to everyday citizens – can track whether MPs’ personal economic activities may be influencing public policy decisions.
It is a key tool in South Africa’s efforts to build institutional integrity and political accountability.
In fact, there are 13 different categories.
The register is extensive and broken down per political party.
By way of an example, let’s take a closer look at what Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader and Minister of Sports Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, declared.
Gayton McKenzie is one of 10 PA MPs to feature on the register.
It couldn’t have taken McKenzie long to fill in the form as he didn’t declare anything regarding his extensive overseas travel, and only did declare three gifts and one residential property.
According to the register, McKenzie has “nothing to disclose” under the categories of shares and other financial interests, remunerated work outside Parliament, consultancies, sponsorships, free loans, travel, pensions, income-generating assets, rented property, and trusts.
This suggests that McKenzie currently draws no outside income beyond his parliamentary remuneration and holds no active shares or formal business roles that generate income.
Gayton McKenzie register declarations
1. Shares and other financial interests
Nothing to disclose
2. Remunerated employment or work outside of parliament
Nothing to disclose
3. Directorships and partnerships
Nothing to disclose
4. Consultancies and retainerships
Nothing to disclose
5. Sponsorships
Nothing to disclose
6. Gifts and hospitality
| Description | Value | Source |
| HONOR MAGIC V2 Device |
R37 999 | HONOR Device Co. Ltd, Shenzhen China |
| Teacup and saucer | R6 093 | Russian Cultural Ministry |
| Framed Artwork 99.9% foiled gold |
To be appraised | India Cultural Minister in Brazil |
7. Benefits and interest free loans
Nothing to disclose
8. Travel
Nothing to disclose
9. Ownership in land and property
| Description of property | Area where property is located |
Size of the property in square metres |
| Residential | Kraaifontein, Cape Town | 1 487 square metres |
10. Pensions
Nothing to declare
11. Rented property
Nothing to declare
12. Income generating assets
Nothing to declare
13. Trusts
Nothing to declare
Transparency
Declaring such interests enhances transparency and strengthens public trust and confidence in parliamentary processes and decision-making.
Last Friday, the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests adopted the 2025 Register of Members’ Interests per item 12 of the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members’ Interests for National Assembly and Permanent Council Members.
The 2025 register is the second of the seventh Parliament following the 2024 General Elections.
“As per convention following the adoption, the committee resolved to release the register to enable access to the public section of the register. The new code adopted by the sixth Parliament established the submission of interests using the prescribed electronic form, which is aimed at streamlining declarations and making the process seamless and quick.
“The adoption of the electronic declaration submission form was a strategic decision in line with the move to ensure a paperless Parliament. Also, to ensure seamless submission, the office of the Registrar availed staff to support and assist Members of Parliament with their online submissions,” Parliament said.
Registrable interests
Item 12 (7) of the Code is clear that a Member must disclose his/her registrable interests in the first quarter of the financial year.
“The code promotes a culture of openness and accountability, and the release of the register is a bold step in building public trust and confidence. Furthermore, by ensuring accountability of public representatives, the release ensures credibility of the oversight work over the executive,” Parliament said.
As per item 12 (1) of the Code, the Register consists of both a public and confidential section.
The public section of the register is now available to be perused by the public to ensure accountability.
“The Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests further communicates that the 2025 disclosure process had a 100% compliance by the due date of all Members of Parliament. No Member of Parliament submitted late. The committee commends this milestone.”
The full public section of the register can be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/36vyn5bs
A full report will be published in the Parliament’s Announcements, Tabling’s and Committee Reports.
Anything appear ‘strange’ to you among Gayton McKenzie’s declarations?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
