Cabinet on Tuesday announced interim fines for members of the executive, including the President, who breach the ethics code.

If Ministers or the President fail to comply with the code, they can be fined up to a month's salary, or see their salaries and benefits reduced for a period of up to 15 days, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said.

Maseko said that these measures were prompted by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's report finding President Jacob Zuma in breach of the code for failing to declare his interests within 60 days of taking office.

They will apply until Justice Minister Jeff Radebe tables a report on a comprehensive review addressing weaknesses in the code listed by Madonsela.

"This report is expected to reach Cabinet no later than November 2010," Maseko said.

He said that the interim penalties and Radebe's review would also apply to the President, but it appears that Zuma would not be made to pay for declaring his interests some eight months late.

Justice ministry spokesperson Tlali Tlali said that the interim penalties were not retroactive.

They are in line with a request by Madonsela that members of the executive who breach the Executive Members' Ethics Act face the same penalties that already apply to MPs who violate the Parliamentary code of conduct.

In her report on Zuma in May, she noted that he was not the only member of the executive who had failed to respect the guidelines.

She said that there was a "systematic pattern of non-compliance" by a significant number of members in declaring their interests correctly and on time.

Madonsela put sustained pressure on government to implement her directives.

She originally gave Parliament until July 1 to report back to her regarding future punishment for those who contravene the ethics code, and when this deadline passed, threatened to set a time frame for Radebe to complete his review.