ANC gets ready to hit back

25 March 2014 - 02:07 By Olebogeng Molatlhwa
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DON'T MESS WITH ME: Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa fired an early salvo at Public Protector Thuli Madonsela yesterday, saying her report on the R246-million 'security upgrades' at President Jacob Zuma's private residence at Nkandla contained 'inaccuracies'
DON'T MESS WITH ME: Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa fired an early salvo at Public Protector Thuli Madonsela yesterday, saying her report on the R246-million 'security upgrades' at President Jacob Zuma's private residence at Nkandla contained 'inaccuracies'
Image: DANIEL BORN

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has given the clearest confirmation yet that the government will challenge the damning finding of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela that President Jacob Zuma unduly benefited from the R246-million "security upgrading" of his private Nkandla home.

Speaking at an ANC breakfast briefing yesterday, Mthethwa said the security cluster of ministers had identified "inaccuracies" in Madonsela's report.

He would not elaborate, saying merely that they would be specified at a later stage.

Madonsela found that Zuma and his family benefited "materially" from the construction at the Nkandla estate of a visitors' centre, an amphitheatre, a swimming pool, a cattle kraal, a culvert, a chicken run and extensive paving.

She also found that Zuma had neglected to halt the skyrocketing cost of the project, which rose from an initial R27-million to R65-million in 2009 when his personal architect, Minenhle Makhanya, got involved.

Makhanya pocketed R16.5-million from the project.

Until yesterday, the only other indication that Madonsela's report would be challenged came from ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, who told a media briefing that Madonsela's findings were similar to those of an inter-ministerial team. But that team exonerated Zuma and put the blame on former public works minister Jeff Doidge, his deputy, Henrietta Bogopane-Zulu, and lowly government officials.

Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said at the breakfast briefing: "We won't respond now. It's not as if we don't have views on the public protector's report. The government, at an appropriate time and when we have given ourselves time, will respond to the public protector's report."

Mthethwa also came to the defence of national police commissioner Riah Phiyega. She had told parliament that what appeared to be a swimming pool built as part of the security upgrading was in fact a reservoir for fire fighting.

"Whatever it is, a need was identified in the needs assessment that there needed to be a reservoir in the vicinity of the president's residence," said Mthethwa.

  • A Johannesburg man, Charles Visser, laid charges against Zuma at Brixton police station yesterday.

His lawyer, Andre Landman SC, said: "He is saying: 'I am a taxpayer and, because I pay tax, I have an interest in how my taxes are used'."

DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said she would write to both Zuma and National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu calling for a full repayment plan by Zuma to be tabled in parliament.

"We cannot simply trust that this will happen unless we ensure maximum transparency," she said.

Mazibuko said her letter to Sisulu would be complemented by written parliamentary questions. Zuma would have 10 working days to reply to these questions.

Additional reporting by Paul Vecchiatto

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