ANC will stop at nothing to keep Zuma in the clear

Even before the parliamentary ad-hoc committee on Nkandla could finish its work, ANC members of the committee said they would recommend against the proposal by the public protector that President Jacob Zuma repay a portion of the R246-million spent on his rural homestead.

This tells us that, whatever the findings or evidence unearthed, the ANC will make sure that Zuma does not pay a cent for the comfort he and his family enjoy thanks to the millions taken from public coffers. It tells us that the ANC will stop at nothing to prevent the president from being held accountable.

This line of defence opens a new chapter in South Africa's fledgling democracy.

How can MPs who are responsible for holding the executive accountable declare that the public protector's findings should be set aside and that Zuma bears no responsibility for the spending on his private property?

The assertion that Zuma and the ANC are being targeted unfairly is getting tired.

It does not hold water and is an insult to the intelligence of the nation.

By taking responsibility, Zuma and the ANC could reclaim the pride and honour once enjoyed by our leaders.

The president should repay the money and then take legal action against those believed to have done wrong in the Nkandla project.

When the government and the ANC blame junior officials every time Zuma is accused of being in the wrong, it sends a message that our president is above the law and the constitution.

ANC MP Mathole Motshekga claims the Nkandla "upgrades" were an error of judgment by someone else and that Zuma should not be made to pay. He also tells us that the public protector's findings and proposals on the matter are not binding and do not have to be implemented.

If Zuma is not made to pay, he should also not enjoy the benefits of a corrupt deal.

Junior officials will more than likely take the fall for all those in the ANC who work hard to keep the president out of the firing line, even in cases where it is as clear as crystal that he is in the wrong.