The UBP leader has applauded the actions of the South African President Thabo Mbeki for firing his deputy amid allegations of corruption last week.

Speaking in the House of Assembly on Friday, Dr. Grant Gibbons praised Mr. Mbeki for firing Dr. Jacob Zuma after a South African High Court found that a "generally corrupt" relationship existed between Zuma and his financial advisor Schabir Shaik - who was sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison for his crimes.

Dr. Gibbons said it was interesting in this day and age when Governments denied accountability and responsibility that in South Africa Mr. Mebki felt it was important enough to uphold these issues by asking his deputy leader to step down. "There are certainly parallels here, but I think what's so important about this is that many South Africans felt very proud, not only of their president, but also of their country because of the way in which this particular issue was handled. It was handled with dignity and handled in such a way that Government was able to proceed with integrity and a sense of accountability, " he told the House.

Despite grumbling from the PLP side of the House, Dr. Gibbons said you could not be considered to be an accountable Government unless you hold members of your Government accountable. "There are a lot of parallels that we have all around us here, that I leave it to individual members to think about, but I believe one of the issues that is on a lot of Bermudians' minds right now, is a desire to be proud of Bermuda and proud of their Government," he said.

Dr. Gibbons said South Africa's example was a good role model for some of the issues that Bermuda has had to deal with.

"I will simply leave it at that," he said.