South African National Assembly Speaker Frene Ginwala has issued a written reprimand of Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota in which she says his casualness in his disclosure of his financial interests "is both disappointing and regrettable".

In response to a report in the Mail and Guardian recently, the minister acknowledged not having registered his interests in property, oil and wine. Members of Parliament including ministers are required to disclose their financial interests in the parliamentary register of Members' interests.

The M&G reported that Lekota had shares in Prestprops, which trades as BZL Petroleum, and was a director of Free State wine cellar Landzicht, which is owned by the GWK group which regularly supplied wine to the Free State Government. Lekota was previously premier of the Free State.

The M&G quoted him as saying: "It was my intention to disclose my interests. It is accurate that in practice I did not disclose."

Following the disclosures in the M&G the Democratic Alliance (DA) asked the Public Protector to investigate Lekota's contravention of the Executive Ethics Code, which forbids a minister from holding directorships, shares and business interests. The DA also asked for his resignation.

The written reprimand follows a recommendation by the parliamentary Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests which found that the minister was negligent in failing to comply with the provisions of the code of conduct.

Ginwala's reprimand, carried in the Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports (ATC), noted that the National Assembly had approved sanctions on recommendation of the committee -- of a fine of seven days' salary (R11 485) and the written reprimand.

She noted that there had been no evidence that the minister "willfully withheld information with the intention to mislead Parliament".

Furthermore, she said: "I note that you took the initiative of writing to me as Speaker tendering your apology to Parliament for failing to disclose your interests in full. You have subsequently co-operated fully with the joint committee."

While noting with appreciation the minister's presence in the National Assembly on May 30 when the committee report was unanimously adopted, she said: "Nevertheless your casualness -- by your own admission -- in regard to disclosure of your interests over an extended period of 1999 to 2003 is both disappointing and regrettable.

"The code has been voluntarily imposed by members on themselves and flows from our commitment to constitutional principles and accountability to the electorate.

"We will only consolidate our democracy to the extent that we are able to earn respect as public representatives. When a member in a leadership position such as yourself fails to observe the letter and spirit of the code, it represents a setback in our efforts to build and maintain public trust in democratic institutions."

But she noted that the manner in which the minister conducted himself "subsequent to the matter coming to light is to be commended and sets an example".

With acknowledgements to Donwald Pressly and the Mail and Guardian.