Nkandla: the big lie

As the row over the R200-million upgrade of President Jacob Zuma's private Nkandla residence grows, the offices of former presidents have denied receiving similar benefits.

Despite Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi claiming that the Nkandla upgrade was on par with those done for previous presidents, the work done at F W de Klerk's and Thabo Mbeki's properties were on nothing like the same scale.

The Sunday Times spoke to the offices of De Klerk and Mbeki. The Nelson Mandela Foundation referred queries about state expenditure at Mandela's homes to public works.

When De Klerk retired in 1997, he got a guard hut erected on a pavement outside his Pretoria apartment. He can't remember if he or the state paid for the hut.

De Klerk, who now lives in Fresnaye in Cape Town, said the state also paid to increase the height of parts of a perimeter wall around his present property. In addition, the government paid for the installation of security cameras and the construction of a room and toilet facilities for the guards.

The revamp of Zuma's homestead in KwaZulu-Natal includes the building of a helipad and underground bunkers.

The Department of Public Works has refused to confirm the amounts spent for security and other developments at Nkandla, which media reports have put at between R203-million and R238-million.

The upgrade of Zuma's homestead, which has been declared a national key point by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, started in 2010. Zuma will reportedly only pay 5% of the bill .

On Friday Public Works Minister Nxesi said disclosing the amount being spent would contravene several laws relating to state security and "endanger the president".

When the Sunday Times visited the homestead this week, two double-storey homes were under construction. The homestead includes houses for air force and SAPS personnel, a double-storey mansion, rondavels, a military health facility, a guard house and gardens.

The construction of Mbeki's retirement home in Riviera, Johannesburg, made headlines in 2006 after reports suggested government was forking out an estimated R8-million for it.

At the time Mbeki's wife, Zanele, described the allegations as "malicious" while Mbeki's office said that the government was only paying the bill for security.

Mbeki's spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, this week also referred queries to public works and the Presidency.

However, the Sunday Times has established that government paid for the construction of an office for Mbeki as well as a room for a secretary, a reception area and an area for his security staff at his residence.

Retired presidents can opt to have an office built at their private residence or use one leased by public works.

De Klerk's assistant, Brenda Steyn, said this week De Klerk wanted to emphasise that the state "never paid for any facilities on property belonging to him or for his family's use".

Zuma's spokesman, Mac Maharaj, was quoted this week on the UK's The Telegraph online that Zuma's homestead had to be upgraded to house his staff and those of visiting guests.

But nobody in government could confirm that Zuma has ever hosted a head of state at Nkandla. He has official residences in Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria where he receives visitors.

Clayson Monyela, spokesman for International Relations and Cooperation, referred queries on visits by heads of state to Zuma's Nkandla homestead to the Presidency.