Luthuli House can’t plead ignorance on further Nkandla spending: COPE

06 July 2015 - 11:07 By RDM News Wire

Why is Gwede Mantashe now at odds with the police minister “for wanting to spend more taxpayers’ money on the president’s palatial homestead”? “He was comfortable with the fire pool‚ the culvert‚ the kraal‚ the chicken run‚ the extensive paving and the bunker‚ amongst many other extravagances at Nkandla.”The City Press at the weekend published comments by the African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general saying Nathi Nhleko’s statements that more money must be spent on Jacob Zuma’s private home were “reckless”.The newspaper also reported that at a recent summit of the ANC‚ the South African Communist Party and Cosatu alliance‚ Mantashe suggested that the ruling party should pay for the non-security-related upgrades at Nkandla on behalf of Zuma. That suggestion was rejected by the delegates.Cope’s Dennis Bloem criticised Mantashe’s apparent U-turn as it was he “who came out with guns blazing in defence of Zuma when the public protector released her findings and recommendations on Nkandla…that the president and his family had unduly benefited from the upgrades and that he must repay a portion of money”.“Gwede now wants us to believe that the further use of taxpayer’s money at Nkandla is a concern to him‚” said Bloem.“He is trying to mislead the public by implying that he is in conflict with the minister of police…regarding further expenditure.Bloem said the ruling party couldn’t plead ignorance as it “would have received the request for an additional Nkandla budget” as “it is common cause that the entire executive reports to Luthuli House on an issue such as Nkandla and in turn gets instructions from there”.“Gwede’s demand that minister Nhleko must furnish reasons for wanting to spend more taxpayers’ money on the president’s palatial homestead at Nkandla rings utterly hollow‚” said Bloem.“Who in South Africa will believe that the Nhleko report was not looked at by Luthuli House before its release?”..

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