ActionSA has today laid a complaint with Parliament’s Ethics Committee following a parliamentary reply received in July 2026, which revealed that Minister of Small Business Development Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams benefited from a R41,000 car sponsorship from Chinese vehicle manufacturer Dongfeng between October and November 2025.
The question formed part of a broader set of questions ActionSA directed to members of the Executive following the now disgraced former Minister Sisisi Tolashe’s BAIC Chinese car scandal, seeking to establish the extent to which ministers and deputy ministers had received vehicle sponsorships, gifts or benefits.
Ndabeni-Abraham’s response came as a surprise because this R41 000 sponsorship was not disclosed in the Register of Members’ Interests published in June 2026. There is a disturbing pattern of members of the Executive receiving gifts, sponsorships or the use of luxury vehicles while failing to properly disclose these benefits to the public.
Parliament’s Code of Ethical Conduct is unequivocal: gifts, sponsorships and sponsored travel must be disclosed in the Register of Members’ Interests. The failure to disclose this R41,000 sponsorship constitutes a clear breach of the Parliamentary Code of Ethical Conduct and the rules governing Members’ disclosure of interests.
The Minister must be held accountable. Clearly there is a deeply entrenched culture of impunity within the GNU which confirms what millions of South Africans already suspect: those in power believe the rules do not apply to them.
ActionSA will continue to fight for an ethical, accountable and capable state, one that puts the interests of South Africans first.
ActionSA Athol Trollip: Former DA heavyweight, now a key ActionSA leader in the Eastern Cape.
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Did you knowthis about South Africa? South Africa celebrates its annual Heritage Day on 24 September. On this day, South Africans get together to celebrate their diverse cultures, traditions and beliefs. You’ll most likely find people enjoying a braai (barbecue) and dressed in traditional garb.