Bonuses paid to Nkandla six

HALF of the 12 Department of Public Works employees implicated in the Nkandla scandal received performance bonuses in the past five years‚ according to Public Works Minister Nathi Nhleko.

He said 12 of the department’s employees were found to be involved in overspending in the R246-million upgrade of President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home.

He was responding to a parliamentary question from DA leader Mmusi Maimane.

Massive price escalations first came to light in 2009.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was tasked with investigating the project in 2013 and then public protector Thuli Madonsela released her Secure in Comfort report into the upgrades in 2014.

Nhleko said disciplinary charges had been brought against all 12 officials.

One had pleaded guilty and was found guilty of misconduct. He was suspended without pay and given a final written warning. Another of the 12 had since died.

Disciplinary procedures against the remaining 10 had begun, Nhleko said.

He would not name those involved‚ as Maimane had requested.

Six of them had received performance bonuses in the past five years. The amounts paid them in bonuses ranged from R11 205 to R60 766.

Nhleko said the National Prosecuting Authority had declined to prosecute three former Public Works officials named in the SIU report into the overspending.