Parliament's decision to block questions on President Kgalema Motlanthe's involvement in a company implicated in "inappropriate" dealings with the Land Bank goes against principles of accountability, the Democratic Alliance said on Monday.

DA chief whip Ian Davidson said Motlanthe should have been given the opportunity to shed light on the matter.

"The President of the country has a duty to all South Africans to take a strong stand against corruption of any kind, to adopt a zero tolerance approach towards offenders, and to lead by example," Davidson said in a statement.

This followed the Parliamentary Questions Office's refusal to accept a DA question on the involvement of Motlanthe in Pamodzi Investment Holdings, a company which received an R800 million loan from the Land Bank.

"The reason provided by the Questions Office for removing the question after it had been forwarded to the President for response was that it fell outside the scope of matters for which he is officially responsible," Davidson said.

However, Davidson said Section 96 of the Constitution required the President and his Cabinet to at all times adhere to a code of ethics as prescribed in the national legislation.

"It is therefore imperative that President Motlanthe clear up the uncertainty surrounding his involvement in Pamodzi Investment Holdings," he said.

Sapa