By Richard Davies
The latest Register of Members' Interests, an official list of the shares and financial interests, land and property, benefits and gifts, among other things, owned or received by South Africa's politicians, provoked some wry chuckles among journalists on Wednesday.
The 462-page document, released at parliament by the institution's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests, contained examples of several very fitting, some very funny, and a few glaringly inappropriate gifts.
Among the more strange was a ceramic Buddha, given to Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon, who is Jewish, although United Democratic Front leader Bantu Holomisa must have wondered what to do with the perfume he received - worth R450 - from a certain sales house.
Conversely, New National party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk, who recently took over as South Africa's new environment minister post, probably found the three windbreakers he received very useful in his new outdoor portfolio.
However, it is unlikely Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa will ever venture out of his Birch Acres residence wearing one of his gifts, a "Black and Gold Royal Head Gear" given him by the Malaysian government.
So too Deputy Justice Minister Johnny de Lange, who was hopefully delighted with the boxing gloves, sent him by the National Department of Public Prosecutions, notwithstanding his well-publicised prowess - as demonstrated in the National Assembly a few years ago - as a bare-knuckle scrapper.
Among the many gifts received by Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza, were one live and one slaughtered sheep. Her most expensive gift also involved farm animals: a R3 200 cow hide from Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.
South Africa's Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma appears to have received by far the most gifts, including numerous wall hangings, which will no doubt come in handy for the walls of the Durban North home she declared as one of her two properties.
Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi may be wondering if the foundation that sent her two copies of a book Top Best Managers are trying to tell her something, while Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota must be heartily sick of dates - he received 17 boxes of them.
In the land and property stakes, the African National Congress's Pierre-Jeanne Gerber is king. His disclosure of property owned includes portions of farms, erven and properties across the Western Cape and extending up into parts of the Northern Cape.
In Touws River alone, Gerber owns over 100 properties, and his farm holdings in other areas - including Ladismith, Calvinia, Ceres, Paarl and Calvinia, among others - total thousands of hectares.
At the other extreme, some members claim they own nothing, and have received no gifts or benefits. Among these is the DA's Sarel Haasbroek and the ANC's Patekile Holomisa.
Unusual gifts included two bronze rhinos, valued at R500, given to Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang; and R70's worth of mosquito and fly repellent, received by Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu. - Sapa