President Jacob Zuma will be expected to decide whether Minister of Transport Sibusiso Ndebele is allowed to keep the luxury R1.1-million Mercedes Benz he received from multi-billion contractors who have government contracts.

Ndebele informed Zuma that he received a gift of a Mercedes Benz S500 from the Vukuzakhe emerging contractors.

The minister has claimed that the vehicle does not constitute a conflict of interests because the present was to honour the former KwaZulu-Natal premier for creating a platform for small contractors in the province.

According to the executive code of ethics, the president decides whether or not a cabinet minister may keep a gift exceeding in value of R1000 while the Public Service Accountability Monitor’s Jay Kruuse said there are instances where this could be allowed.

"The president will have to provide clear reasons for why this gift is permissible and we will expect that of the president and I'm sure the president will embark upon that exercise having careful regard for the provisions of the code," explained Kruuse.

If it is granted, the gift must be disclosed in a register but if it is refused, Ndebele will either have to return the car or surrender it to the State.

However, with Zuma's administration at pains to present a clean government, he will be concerned about the perception created by one of his ministers being given a luxury vehicle as a reward for doing his job.

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