ACDP leader's detailed honesty‚ and did Julius and Floyd go empty-handed?

While some MPs were showered with expensive gifts from companies and their foreign counterparts‚ that was not the case for ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe.

Meshoe laid all of his cards on the table‚ even going so far as to declare an anniversary ring‚ in the register of members' interests for 2017 released by Parliament on Tuesday.

The register noted just four “gifts and hospitality” entries under his name. They were a suit worth R15,000 from his wife‚ a ring for their anniversary worth R12,500‚ shoes worth R1,200 from his daughter and socks worth R250 from his son.

In contrast‚ Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane declared receiving a Samsung Galaxy S7 cellphone worth R11,000 from Telkom SA‚ complimentary accommodation worth around R50,000‚ a dozen Nic Harry socks worth R2,400‚ Nic Harry presidential shirts worth R32,000‚ bottles of alcohol‚ shoes‚ a handmade leather tie and rugby tickets‚ amongst other things.

President Cyril Ramaphosa also had a long list of things to declare for 2017‚ before he became president‚ but it seemed that the gifts of choice for him were books‚ an assortment of wine and Cuban cigars. Under the value of his gifts was the word “unknown”.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema along with Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and Floyd Shivambu did not record having received any gifts.

Fourty-two MPs reportedly failed to submit their declarations on time. They were not immediately named in order to give them an opportunity to explain themselves.