All the gifts DStv, Telkom, and MTN gave South African government officials

The South African Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics recently published the Register for Members’ Interests, revealing all the gifts Members of Parliament (MPs) received in 2024.

It also includes disclosures of directorships and shareholdings. The latest register shows that various MPs received gifts from companies like MultiChoice, MTN, and Telkom.

“MPs are in a powerful position to influence high-level decision-making. There may be times when their personal or business interests conflict with their role as elected officials representing the public interest,” the committee says.

“MPs are expected to register in Parliament their financial interests and those of their spouses, dependants and permanent companions every year. Most of this information is open to the public.”

MyBroadband searched the register for gifts received from prominent technology and telecommunications companies.

The gifts disclosed in 2022, 2023, and 2024 have been far fewer than in previous years, with the Joint Committee on Ethics launching its e-disclosure system and using it for the first time in 2022.

For reference, Huawei and MTN gifted two smartphones, a tablet, and a smartwatch between three different MPs in 2021.

In 2024, only South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, and ANC MP Khusela Sangoni were gifted smartphones.

Sangoni serves as the chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies.

She received a handset valued at R16,000 from Telkom. The register doesn’t specify the phone’s brand or model.

MTN Ghana gifted Lamola a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 smartphone valued at around R25,000 during the year.

MTN gave a gift to one other MP during the year: the Democratic Alliance’s Mlindi Advent Nhanha. He received four tickets to the Springbok rugby match against New Zealand in Cape Town on 7 September 2024.

These included two hospitality suite tickets and two open-stand tickets valued at a combined R12,000.

DStv owner MultiChoice gave MPs several gifts in 2024. The most expensive was a travel sponsorship to the Rugby World Cup in France, valued at R200,000 in Lamola.

Deputy Minister in the Presidency Pinky Kekana received a similar package from MultiChoice. However, her disclosure valued the trip at R150,000.

Kekana also received “VIP Access Tickets” valued at R8,000 from MultiChoice but didn’t specify what the tickets were for.

The pay-TV broadcaster also gifted another Deputy Minister in The Presidency, Kgwaridi Buti Manamela, with three sets of eight tickets to shows, including the DStv Music Festival, Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival, and DStv Delicious.

Manamela didn’t disclose the value of the tickets in his submissions for the register.

Lastly, MultiChoice also gifted a third Deputy Minister in The Presidency, Itiseng Kenneth Morolong, a trip to the Rugby World Cup in France, including tickets, flights, and hotel accommodation.

Morolong specified this was to watch the bronze finals and finals but did not provide a value for the gift.

The table below summarises the gifts MPs declared from companies like MultiChoice, MTN, and Telkom in 2024.