Zuma's attempt at apology on Nkandla likely to backfire - Analyst

Political analyst Daniel Silke said President Jacob Zuma’s speech on national television‚ in response to the damning findings of the Constitutional Court over the lavish expenditure at Nkandla‚ would likely backfire through divisions within the African National Congress‚ and potentially within government.

“Broadly speaking‚ I think that this has been heavy-handed attempt at an apology to the country‚ which is likely to be backfire in a number of ways‚” Silke said.

The issue would now undoubtedly become a focal point for the opposition‚ both external to the ANC and internal‚ which would continue to play out in the run up to the local government elections‚ he said.

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“Effectively (the speech) doesn’t do Jacob Zuma much good‚ the ANC much good‚ and the nature of his defence doesn’t do the country much good‚” said Silke.

Speaking on eNCA‚ Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane described President Zuma’s address as an “insult”.

The speech was “a completely hollow statement from a broken president”‚ he said.

“Personally I believe the president took to the podium to mislead South Africans today‚” Maimane said.

The Constitutional Court on Thursday ordered Zuma to personally pay the costs for the construction of a visitor’s centre‚ amphitheatre‚ cattle kraal‚ chicken run and swimming pool at his private Nkandla residence in KwaZulu-Natal.

- TMG Digital/BDLive