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People alleging impropriety on behalf of facility management company Bosasa should report them to authorities, Deputy President David Mabuza said in Parliament on Wednesday.
Mabuza was answering questions in the National Assembly.
At first, DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said he would have liked to ask Mabuza if he had anything to do with the "secret meeting that took place in Durban this last weekend".
He was referring to a reported meeting between, among others, former president Jacob Zuma, ANC secretary general Ace Magashule and Supra Mahumapelo, who was recently removed as ANC chairperson in the North West, in an alleged plot to oust President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Mabuza smiled in Steenhuisen's direction and Steenhuisen said that question would be viewed as a new question.
'Throwing around substantial largesse'
But the chief whip then changed the topic to the corruption-accused Bosasa group and said it was "very clear that Bosasa has been throwing around substantial largesse" to members of the governing party.
"My information is that the net of rent seekers will extend even further into the governing benches [in] the coming week," Steenhuisen said.
He said Bosasa's gifts represent "significant conflicts of interest" and these gifts had not been declared.
READ: Bosasa's big brother bonanza
"Why has government not uttered a single word about the scandal?" Steenhuisen asked.
"Well, when it comes to government departments, there is one legislation governing our work, the PFMA (Public Finance Management Act)," Mabuza answered.
"All of us in this House [are] playing oversight over the executive."
"If there are violations that necessitate, that shows criminal activities, these must be reported and the necessary action taken."
He said he heard that Bosasa was "working with individual leaders".
"I take it these were allegations," he said.
"Now, the necessary thing to do for those who are alleging is to report these cases. It is a good thing to do so that we don't simply talk, but that we help to uproot corruption."
'Personal loan'
Steenhuisen complained that Mabuza did not answer his question: "Why has government not uttered a single word about the scandal?" But Speaker Baleka Mbete said he could not ask another question.
Last Sunday, News24 and City Press broke the story that senior ANC MP Vincent Smith allegedly received R670 000 from Bosasa (now African Global Operations) over the past three years, as well as security upgrades to his house.
Smith said the payments were a personal loan from former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi and he was unaware that the money came from Bosasa. He said he paid for the security upgrades to his house himself.
READ: Mantashe, Mokonyane scored big in Bosasa bonanza
This Sunday, News24 reported that Bosasa has since at least 2013, installed high-end CCTV cameras, alarm systems and electric fencing for ministers Gwede Mantashe and Nomvula Mokonyane, deputy minister Thabang Makwetla.
Former SAA chairperson Dudu Myeni, former prisons boss Linda Mti, and one-time procurement manager for the Passenger Rail Agency of SA Mbulelo Gingcana allegedly also received from Bosasa's largesse.
Mantashe and Mokonyane would neither confirm nor deny that Bosasa installed the security systems, while Makwetla said Bosasa refused to charge him for it, despite several requests.
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