Cape Town -- The Western Cape Legislature’s conduct committee has found the deputy speaker, Beverley Schäfer guilty after probing complaints that she refused to downgrade her luxury state-funded BMW X5 when her six-month stint as MEC ended.
Weekend Argus broke the story in May this year after it emerged that she had been referred to the committee for a probe. Schäfer first received the vehicle which cost R976 000, when she served as MEC for Economic Opportunities from November 2018 until May 2019.
At the time she was appointed to replace Alan Winde, who was moved to the Community Safety portfolio after Dan Plato was appointed City of Cape Town mayor.
“The committee noted and determined that her (Schäfer’s) conduct in refusing to return the vehicle when asked to do so diminished the reputation of the (legislature) among staff members who were involved in the saga and that it damaged the institution’s integrity,” read the committee’s report, seen by Weekend Argus. The authenticity of the report was confirmed by insiders.
The report, which will be tabled in the legislature this week, further found that Schäfer was a first-time offender.
The committee “unanimously” agreed to recommend a “reprimand” as a penalty as well as fine of R17 800.67. Her privileges as deputy speaker will also be suspended for seven days as well as her right to a sit in parliamentary debates or committees.
It also found that she breached a section of the code of conduct.
“The committee unanimously determined that a complaint of a breach of paragraph 2(3) of the code was indeed valid and that Honourable Schäfer had breached paragraph 2(3) of the code.”
The code states: “A member shall ensure at all times that the dignity, credibility and integrity of the provincial parliament is maintained.”
According to the ministerial handbook, the total purchase price of the vehicle chosen by a member, at the time of order, may not exceed 70% of the inclusive annual remuneration package.
As MEC, Schäfer received an annual salary of nearly R2 million. As the deputy speaker, she earns R1.6m per annum, meaning that she should have a vehicle priced at no more than R640 000. And, according to the committee’s report, Schäfer knew this.
“The deputy speaker was aware of the financial limitations contained in the handbook at the time she became deputy speaker,” read the report.
A source at the time the story broke told the Weekend Argus that Schäfer had wanted to keep on using the vehicle she got when she was MEC “because it had a holder for a bicycle at the back".
Schäfer’s spokesperson, Natalie Jardine, told Weekend Argus that Schäfer might appeal the report.
Requests for further comment were declined.
Weekend Argus.