African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) Chief Whip Louis Green has accepted his suspension from parliament's ethics committee looking into allegations that Deputy President Jacob Zuma breached the code of conduct for members of parliament.
"I have accepted the speaker's ruling that I will be suspended from ethics committee meetings for as long as the committee is discussing the Zuma matter," Green said on Wednesday.
However, Green said he believed he was justified in bringing information he released to the media about the probe to the public's notice.
"Despite statements promising transparency and accountability in the government, my impression of the entire Zuma issue is that the African National Congress will continue to close ranks around the deputy president regardless of what evidence is made available," Green said.
On Tuesday, Green was informed by committee chairperson Luwellyn Landers that he was recommending Green be suspended as a result of information he gave to the media.
This information related specifically to Green's statement to the media on Monday that the documents submitted to the committee indicating payments made to Zuma were loans, were only drawn up recently.
"I am unsure of the exact rule of the ethics committee that was breached as none of this information is classified," Green said on Tuesday.
Members of the committee should not be muzzled on what was happening, and all political parties had the right to comment on issues that were not classified, he said.
The committee is looking into, among other things, whether Zuma breached the code by not properly disclosing his business interests and other benefits on the register of members' interests.
These allegedly include a series of payments totalling over R1-million from his financial advisor and Durban businessman Schabir Shaik, who is facing criminal charges of fraud and corruption.
The committee held a lengthy meeting on the matter on Monday afternoon, and is expected to hold a further meeting next week. Sapa