DA finance spokesperson Mark Burke has distanced himself from fintech company Kastelo as it faces a South African Reserve Bank investigation.
Burke said he resigned from Kastelo in 2024 to pursue a political career and is not involved in the daily operations of Kastelo Proprietary Limited.
He added that he previously chaired the broader Kastelo group but stopped serving in that position in February 2026.
His comments follow a High Court judgment linked to a Reserve Bank blocking order against Kastelo while the bank investigates possible exchange-control contraventions involving transactions of about R4 billion.
No finding of wrongdoing yet
Burke stressed that the court ruling did not find him or Kastelo guilty of wrongdoing.
He said the matter before the court dealt with whether the Reserve Bank had sufficient grounds to issue a blocking order while its investigation continues.
The court found that it did.
Burke said he remains confident that the SARB investigation will not find wrongdoing on his part.
The Reserve Bank investigation is ongoing, and no final finding of exchange-control violations has been made against Burke in the source provided.
Burke says he avoided conflicts
Burke also said he had taken steps to avoid potential conflicts of interest since entering Parliament.
He said he informed the DA and the secretary of Parliament’s finance committee that he could not participate in matters involving the Reserve Bank.
According to Burke, his recusals are on record and were intended to maintain clear ethical boundaries.
He also said he had made the required declarations to Parliament and the Members’ Interest Register.
Burke maintains that he is not personally under investigation by any authority.
DA backs due process
DA federal council chairperson Ashor Sarupen said the party would not interfere with or prejudge the Reserve Bank investigation.
He said the DA would act if a competent regulator or court ultimately made findings of wrongdoing against one of its public representatives.
For now, Sarupen said there is no finding against Burke that would justify treating him as though wrongdoing had already been established.
The DA says accountability and due process must apply equally to its own representatives while the Reserve Bank investigation continues.