EFF lodges ethics complaint against DA MP Mark Burke over R4 billion Kastelo probe

The complaint, submitted by EFF MP Omphile Maotwe, claims Burke had a conflict of interest due to his role as founder and chairman of Kastelo Proprietary Limited, a company under investigation by the South African Reserve Bank SARB for R4 billion in suspicious transactions, while simultaneously serving on the Standing Committee on Finance, which oversees SARB. Maotwe's affidavit states Burke failed to disclose his interests or withdraw from committee proceedings related to SARB's exchange control mandate. The complaint follows a South Gauteng High Court judgment on July 28, 2026, which dismissed Kastelo’s application to unfreeze its accounts, confirming SARB's right to block accounts based on "reasonable suspicion."

The EFF described the transactions as "classic illicit financial flows." Burke has stated the High Court judgment made no finding of wrongdoing against him or Kastelo and confirmed he has stepped down as Kastelo’s chairman and recused himself from SARB discussions in Parliament. The Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests is expected to consider the complaint.