Minister seeks Zuma’s guidance on 'thank you' Merc

Busted my friend.

Please, Emsie, don’t leave a crucial fact until way past the first paragraph of a story. Your opening sentence had me damned near wetting myself with laughter until I read that the Minister had to consult the President over the gift in terms of the Executive Code of Ethics.

return the cows too minister

Our new 'presidency' is the last place you should seek advice for averting something that reeks of corruption.

I hope he will receive the same sage advice from the president as he got from the opposition. Let the group use the funds to further the progress of new contractors.

Mr Ndebele was paid from the public purse for doing his job. If his services were worth extra, he should be paid from the public purse, not individuals. It might be more appropriate to thank the person by channelling funds into area where the premier failed to perform, giving money for a school that the province failed to build, etc. In other words, they should be thanking the people of the province (or, more specifically the taxpayers who funded the projects of which they were beneficiaries), not the man. After all, there are many in KZN who don't have a job, let alone one where they get a car as a bonus, and won't see a million rand in their lifetime

Goodness! I cannot believe this! He cannot discern himself, so how will he learn to discern by asking Zuma!!!!

It was good that the Minister responded so quickly. I hope he gets good advice that shows the way for future good governance in this country. Personally, I believe he should hand the Merc back or would that be culturally insensitive (because that should then also include the two cows)? Rules should be made and then adhered to. In private business these days, many large businesses will not allow the receipt of any "gifts" of any nature. Yet, I've seen and read of so many who have no such qualms about the giving of "gifts"
Either way, the recipients of such "gifts" are supposed to declare these to the taxman and pay tax on these. I hope SARS is watching - "gifts" should not come free.

Zuma's response must be very clear - relieve Sbu Ndebele of his position in the cabinet for a gross display of corruption and a clear breach of the Public Service Act. The state president must state clearly whether he is an opponent or an accessory to corruption.
Samore Herbstein - AZAPO

"Some guys have all the luck."

The above will have been realistic, if it was not that the gift is a product of a reward for making platform for small businesses to recieve large tenders with so much money that they even fail to reason on how to use it.

You have done nothing wrong minister, but the fact that you are consulting about how to handle this, makes me wonder if you really didn't actually know of it. It is obvious you want to keep it(If I was on your shoes, I'd also do that, the difference is that I'm not a public servant, let alone former MEC or Minister).

My advise since you seek some, you cannot stop people from giving you gifts, that will be rude. This is how to do it, when offered, you accept the gift, the following day nicely apologise that you cannot keep it because it is not in line with you work requirements.

If it was in my case, my job does not have perks to compete with the vehicle, I'd take the car and resign.(sic)...