ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is unfazed by internal party scrutiny after his comments about defending former president Jacob Zuma during the Nkandla saga, for which the Constitutional Court found government funds were irregularly used.
Mbalula has been in the spotlight after his address at the weekend in Barberton, Mpumalanga.
The public protector's report stated millions of rand were misused in the building of Zuma’s private home after funds intended for the construction of security features were instead used to build a visitors’ centre, amphitheatre, cattle kraal, chicken run and the controversial swimming pool, which was called a “fire pool”. The Constitutional Court ordered Zuma to personally pay back the money.
Amid backlash for his comments from senior party members, including ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe and former police minister Nathi Nhleko who told parliament the swimming pool was a fire pool, Mbalula is unshaken.
“I stated historical facts about what happened. It is the truth that we defended the man [Zuma]. It is a documented truth in court records and we were dismissed about it. Our chief whip Jackson Mthembu spoke about it in parliament and they apologised” Mbalula said on eNCA.
“We suffered, including losing votes, because of that. How am I putting members of the ANC under the bus because it is an unexplainable truth in the public domain by Nathi Nhleko as the minister of police [who said] the pool is a fire pool?”
Nhleko said a report by engineers involved in the construction of Nkandla described the pool as a fire pool.
“The fire pool does not come with me as the minister of police; then nor does it come with anybody else except the group of engineers. [Engineers] in assessing potential emergency situations around the homestead made an analysis and said water availability within the homestead was a problem. That is where the issue of the fire pool comes in as an open water resource,” Nhleko said.
WATCH:
WATCH | ‘I stated historical facts’: Mbalula firm on ANC defence of Zuma during Nkandla scandal
Image: Lubabalo Lesolle
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is unfazed by internal party scrutiny after his comments about defending former president Jacob Zuma during the Nkandla saga, for which the Constitutional Court found government funds were irregularly used.
Mbalula has been in the spotlight after his address at the weekend in Barberton, Mpumalanga.
The public protector's report stated millions of rand were misused in the building of Zuma’s private home after funds intended for the construction of security features were instead used to build a visitors’ centre, amphitheatre, cattle kraal, chicken run and the controversial swimming pool, which was called a “fire pool”. The Constitutional Court ordered Zuma to personally pay back the money.
Amid backlash for his comments from senior party members, including ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe and former police minister Nathi Nhleko who told parliament the swimming pool was a fire pool, Mbalula is unshaken.
“I stated historical facts about what happened. It is the truth that we defended the man [Zuma]. It is a documented truth in court records and we were dismissed about it. Our chief whip Jackson Mthembu spoke about it in parliament and they apologised” Mbalula said on eNCA.
“We suffered, including losing votes, because of that. How am I putting members of the ANC under the bus because it is an unexplainable truth in the public domain by Nathi Nhleko as the minister of police [who said] the pool is a fire pool?”
Nhleko said a report by engineers involved in the construction of Nkandla described the pool as a fire pool.
“The fire pool does not come with me as the minister of police; then nor does it come with anybody else except the group of engineers. [Engineers] in assessing potential emergency situations around the homestead made an analysis and said water availability within the homestead was a problem. That is where the issue of the fire pool comes in as an open water resource,” Nhleko said.
WATCH:
The ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula's bombshell on the Nkandla saga has caused an uproar within the party, overshadowing the ANC's 112th anniversary celebrations. Tune into Newzroom Afrika DStv channel 405 for more.
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READ MORE:
LISTEN | We lied in Zuma’s defence, Mbalula says about Nkandla ‘fire pool’ security upgrade
Zuma does not have to #PayBackTheMoney for #Nkandla: Nhleko
How Treasury arrived at the figure of R7.8 million Zuma must pay for Nkandla
TRANSCRIPT: Judgment of the Constitutional Court on #Nkandla
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