Transport Minister S'bu Ndebele has sought advice from President Jacob Zuma and the African National Congress (ANC) on what to do with a Mercedes S 500 he received from businessmen.

"I have sought guidance from the Presidency, the Secretary of the Cabinet as well as the Secretary-General of the ANC as I could not find precedence relating to how one can handle a gift of such magnitude," Ndebele said in statement on Monday.

The Star reported that the former KwaZulu-Natal Premier and transport MEC was given the car, which is worth R1-million, on Saturday evening, by contractors who had benefited from the province's Vukuzakhe programme at a farewell party in Pietermaritzburg.

The gesture was reportedly meant as thanks for Ndebele's role in creating a platform for small contractors in the province.

Vukuzakhe was established in 1996 to help emerging contractors for road construction.

Ndebele confirmed that in the past 10 years, government has allocated close to R10-billion in contracts to contractors associated with the programme.

The Democratic Alliance urged Ndebele to return the car, saying it posed a conflict of interest.

"The Transport Minister therefore must show that he is not beholden to Vukuzakhe contractors, and Mr Ndebele must return the Mercedes Benz gift they gave to him," the party said.

"This will help to give us confidence that any future contracts awarded to Vukuzakhe are based on their ability to deliver, not on the consideration of this gift."

The Executive Code of Ethics states that a Member of Parliament (MP) must request permission from the President to accept or retain a gift with a value of more than R1 000 he receives in the course of his duties.

It bars MPs from accepting gifts in return for favours, or accepting gifts that constitute improper influence.

Ndebele confirmed that at Saturday's party, taxi operators also gave him two heads of cattle, but insisted he had no prior knowledge of the gifts and they were not given to him in a bid to influence him in his new job.

"I must emphasise, I never knew about these gifts, never solicited them and never expected them."

He said when the Vukuzakhe contractors began organising the party for him last year, nobody knew that he would be named Transport Minister in Zuma's Cabinet.

"When this whole function was mooted by the emerging contractors, nobody knew where I was going or whether I would be appointed Minister of Transport."