The Western Cape Provincial Parliament in Wale Street
Image: JEFFREY ABRAHAMS
Three Western Cape politicians, including Premier Alan Winde, have been found guilty of breaching the provincial parliament’s code of conduct.
A report prepared to be tabled and debated in the legislature shows that Winde, GOOD party secretary-general Brett Herron and ANC MPL Rachel Windvogel were all found to have broken the rules governing members’ conduct.
In Winde’s case, the complaint was lodged by opposition leader, the ANC’s Khalid Sayed.
The Conduct Committee found that Winde failed to disclose the sponsorship of an economy-class return flight to New York to attend Climate Week NYC in September 2024.
The ticket, worth about R51,000, had been paid for by the Under2Coalition.
According to the report, the sponsorship was not listed in Winde’s financial disclosure form when he submitted his declaration in February 2025.
Winde denied breaching the code and said he attended the conference in his official capacity as Western Cape premier and as African co-chair of the Under2Coalition.
He also said the Western Cape Government had initially paid for the ticket and that the Under2Coalition only reimbursed the provincial government in April 2025.
After considering the matter, the committee found that Winde had breached rules relating to the disclosure of registrable interests and recommended that he receive a reprimand.
“The committee found that there had been a clear breach of paragraphs 12(9) and 3(7)," the finding stated.
“In the result, the committee tables its report, together with its recommendation, namely a reprimand, as sanction.
“The committee debated the registrar’s report and unanimously accepted it.”
The report also notes that Winde attempted to appeal the finding.
“This constituted an irregular step as an appeal, in accordance with the Code of Conduct, can only be noted once the committee has submitted its report to the house," it said.
“Nonetheless, the committee perused the document to determine if there were any mitigating circumstances and found that there were none.”
Approached for comment, Winde's spokesperson Regan Thaw said: "This trip was duly disclosed in the annual report.
"No gift or sponsorship was received in the premier’s personal capacity.
"The co-funder for the trip to attend the [event] was the Under2Coalition, an important regional organisation made up of 183 states and regions leading on climate action.
"The Premier disputes the finding and will appeal it."
In a separate case, the committee found that Herron breached the code after issuing a media statement and social media posts about an August 2025 attack on members of the National Assembly.
During that incident, DA MP Ian Cameron and two fellow members of Parliament’s police committee, Lisa Schickerling and Nicholas Gotsell, were driving back from an oversight visit when their vehicle was attacked in Philippi.
According to reports at the time, a group of men ambushed the car and smashed its windows with bricks.
Cameron and Gotsell were injured in the attack, with Cameron also suffering broken teeth.
In the life-and-death situation, Cameron then drew his firearm and fired shots, wounding one of the alleged attackers.
The committee said Herron’s statements breached provisions of the code requiring members to act honestly, in good faith and in a way that maintains the dignity and credibility of parliament.
It recommended that Herron be reprimanded, fined the equivalent of five days’ salary and suspended from participating in parliamentary debates or committees for seven days.
“The committee decided unanimously that the member had breached paragraph 2(3) of the Code of Conduct," the report said.
In response, Herron said: "According to the conduct committee, it has conducted a trial of some sort, without inviting me to attend, and found me guilty of something on the basis of an anonymous complaint.
"It is impossible to discern the precise nature of my 'crime' because the only paperwork the committee placed on record — the so-called complaint — was so heavily redacted it made no sense.
"Even the complainant’s name was blacked out.
"After receiving the complaint, I submitted extensive reasons objecting to their jurisdiction on the subject matter and informed the committee of the basis of my intended defence.
"The next thing I was informed was that I had been found guilty at a secret hearing, without being provided a right to be heard.
"Bizarrely, after not being invited to my trial, I was offered the opportunity to give input on mitigation of a sanction already decided."
In the third case, the committee found that Windvogel breached the code after visiting several Western Cape health facilities and taking photographs and videos without permission.
The incidents took place at the Railton Clinic in Swellendam, the Grabouw Community Health Centre and the Swellendam Clinic between February and May 2025.
According to the report, some of the footage was later posted on social media.
The committee found that the actions breached the Protection of Personal Information Act as well as provincial rules governing photography and filming in health facilities.
It recommended that Windvogel be reprimanded, fined 14 days’ salary, with half the fine suspended, and suspended from parliament for 15 days on full pay.
“The committee concluded that the member had breached paragraph 2(3) of the Code of Conduct," it said.
“The committee also found that the member had contravened the Protection of Personal Information Act by videotaping and or photographing patients without their express permission.
“The committee recommended a reprimand, a fine of 14 days’ salary, of which half is suspended, and suspension from Parliament for a period of 15 days on full pay.”
The party's Roscoe Jacobs in response said: "The ANC Caucus in the Western Cape Provincial Legislature notes the tabling of the Conduct Committee’s report confirming that Premier Alan Winde breached Paragraphs 12(9) and 3(7) of the Code of Conduct by failing to disclose sponsored foreign travel to the US, in the register of members’ interests.
"We welcome this finding."
All three reports must still be considered by the provincial legislature.
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