Ban officials from accepting freebies

RECENT reports about Roland Williams's acceptance of a "freebie" from the Ubuntu publishers is just another example of this common practice among officials at all levels of government and opposition parties ("Roland's freebie under spotlight", March 21). It is an unhealthy situation and should be disallowed and spelt out as such in the various rule books governing party and government officials.

Another example of this practice was a "private" trip last year by Lindiwe Mazibuko, of the DA, to London funded by Google to attend a Google conference. Her office points out that this trip was listed in the "member's interests list" as required by parliamentary rules.

This may be so, but does not make it an acceptable practice.

At the same time a trip was also undertaken by the DA's Cape Town mayor, Patricia De Lille, who was photographed together with Mazibuko at a London flower show. I have been patiently waiting since last year for a response from her office as to the cost of this trip plus who paid for it and the purpose thereof.

I doubt if I will get a response any time soon.

Bill Bayley, Port Elizabeth