"Public funds should not be spent to service the home and the hometown of the president to the detriment of other projects that are meant to improve the lives of ordinary South Africans," Democratic Alliance transport spokesman Ian Ollis said.

The Mercury reported earlier in the day that a 32.4km stretch of road linking the village to Kranskop, the P15, was built for R290 million.

A 54.4km road linking Eshowe with the village and the town of Nkandla cost R292 million.

Ollis said he would ask the public protector to investigate whether it was justifiable to build a network of roads to the tune of R582 million in Zuma's hometown while the rest of the province still had roads in a terrible condition.

The public protector should also investigate whether there had been any political directive to build roads in Nkandla, instead of other rural areas in the province, Ollis said.

KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Willies Mchunu also opened two pedestrian bridges across the Nsuze and Mposa rivers in the greater KwaNxamalala area. These would link villages to schools and cost R4.5 million.

According to the Mercury, Mchunu said the projects were considered before Zuma became president.

"In fact former president Thabo Mbeki identified Nkandla and Msinga as priority areas needing development. This has nothing to do with President Zuma," The Mercury quoted Mchunu saying.