Presidency doesn’t know how many functions were held at Nkandla

13 October 2015 - 14:57 By RDM News Wire

Part of the justification given for security upgrades at Nkandla is that President Jacob Zuma hosts “many functions…with guests including a variety of high-profile individuals”. But it appears‚ according to a reply to a parliamentary question‚ that Zuma’s office has no idea about how often he’s hosted guests or who he’s hosted at his KwaZulu-Natal homestead.Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane had asked the Presidency to list “how many government functions he has hosted at his private residence in Nkandla for (a) heads of state‚ (b) cabinet ministers‚ (c) deputy ministers‚ (d) traditional leaders‚ (e) premiers‚ (f) mayors‚ (g) religious leaders and (h) ordinary members of the public”.The response was simply: “The Presidency does not keep a record of the number of meetings and functions.”Maimane said on Tuesday that “the president’s latest response is clearly an evasive tactic to avoid the truth that the exorbitant upgrades to his private residence cannot be justified‚ and amount to the theft of public funds”. The response‚ he added‚ “contradicts an earlier reply from the President stating that ‘there are many functions that are held both at my private residence at Nkandla and in the official state residences’ with guests including a variety of high profile individuals”. Maimane singled out Police Minister Nathi Nhleko’s contention that Zuma “was not liable for the upgrades to the Visitor’s Centre specifically – at a cost of R7562141.06 – as they were necessary for the discharge of his official duties”. Said Maimane: “The president cannot in the same breath claim that the upgrades to Nkandla are necessary for the discharge of official duties‚ but then fall short of providing details of what these duties entail and invoke the issue of it being his private residence in doing so.. “The president has gone to great lengths to avoid this constitutional obligation and has instead used his political influence to shield himself from accountability.” Public Protector Thuli Madonsela had found that Zuma had unduly benefitted from the Nkandla upgrades to his residence at Nkandla and should pay “a reasonable percentage of the cost of the measures that do not relate to security”.“It has now been 18 months since the report was released and the president is yet to repay a single cent‚” said Maimane...

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