DA removes Mark Burke from finance committee amid R4bn Kastelo SARB probe

Democratic Alliance MP Mark Burke has been removed from the Parliament's finance committee and the DA's finance cluster due to a South African Reserve Bank (SARB) inquiry involving a company he benefits from. Burke will no longer serve on the finance committee or in the finance cluster while the company he is a beneficiary of is under SARB inquiry.

This decision was made after consultation with Burke to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest. The SARB is investigating Kastelo, a company in which Burke has a stake, over suspected exchange-control contraventions totaling around R4 billion. Burke served as chairperson of the Kastelo Group but ceased this position in February 2026 and resigned from Kastelo in 2024 to focus on his political career.

He denies any wrongdoing and maintains that he has informed the DA and the finance committee secretary of his inability to participate in SARB-related matters to prevent potential conflicts of interest. Burke currently serves on Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance and as an alternate member of the Standing Committees on Appropriations and Public Accounts.

The Reserve Bank's investigation into Kastelo's business activities was initiated based on a SARB affidavit that identified a reasonable suspicion of exchange-control contraventions. The Johannesburg High Court dismissed Kastelo's application to set aside the SARB's blocking order on July 28, finding that the SARB had established a valid and objectively reasonable suspicion.