The DA wants mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe held accountable for his alleged bribery admission scandal.

This comes after Mantashe admitted that he paid off two Sunday World journalists R70,000 to make sure that a story involving his tryst with Lerato Makgatho vanished.

Yesterday, the DA revealed that they have requested for an investigation by parliament's joint committee on ethics and members' interests relating to Mantashe's conduct.

"The minister has essentially admitted to bribing two journalists, and it is clearly an admission of guilt for which he needs to be held accountable," DA's shadow minister of energy and minerals Kevin Mileham said.

"His comments are in violation of the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members' Interests of Parliament. Section 10.1.1.3 states that a member is in breach of the Code if he or she, among other clauses, contravenes section 4.1 of the Code.

According to the statement, this section states that members must "by virtue of the oath or affirmation of allegiance taken by all elected members, uphold the law; act on all occasions in accordance with the public trust placed in them; [and] maintain public confidence and trust in the integrity of parliament and thereby engender the respect and confidence that society needs to have in parliament as a representative institution".

Furthermore, the DA welcomed Sunday World's investigation into the matter.

"Brown envelope journalism should be frowned upon and those who indulge in such transactions must be held accountable for their actions...

"South Africans deserve a free and fair media, which provides unbiased content free from bribes and corruption."

Mantashe's spokesperson Nathi Shabangu couldn't be reached for comment yesterday.