‘Provide proof of Zuma’s R1m salary’

Register shows president never declared it, says Maimane

OPPOSITION parties have called on journalist and author Jacques Pauw to provide the relevant authorities with proof that President Jacob Zuma received a R1 million salary from Durban businessman Roy Moodley.

The parties were responding to DA leader Mmusi Maimane’s visit to the Union Buildings yesterday where he viewed Zuma’s declarations of interest dating back to 2009.

“I can today confirm that President Jacob Zuma did not declare any salary earned in the 2009/10 financial year in the register of his financial interests.

“The only mention in the register of Mr Roy Moodley was the president’s use of Mr Moodley’s Durban beachfront property in 2016,” Maimane said, after viewing the declaration made available to him by the secretary of the cabinet, Dr Cassius Lubisi.

In Pauw’s recently published book The President’s Keepers, he claims Zuma was on the payroll of Royal Security which is owned by Moodley.

Pauw also claims the president was paid a salary of R1m a month for a period after becoming president of the Republic.

The president is required by the Executive Ethics Code to disclose the particulars of all his financial interests to Lubisi, once a year.

This includes all shares and interests in corporate companies, sponsorships, gifts and donations, hospitality, pension and foreign travel.

“The R1 million per month has not been declared.

“Someone is lying to us and I doubt that it is Mr Pauw,” said Maimane, adding that a public protector investigation was needed.

Criminal charges have been laid against Pauw, accusing him of possessing classified information.

The Presidency had issued a statement saying the president has declared to the relevant authorities all income received and “allegations contained in the reports are misleading and clearly part of the ongoing smear campaigns”.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa warned that if no proof was submitted, the matter would fizzle out.

“The onus is on Jacques Pauw and others to provide proof to the relevant authorities that the president received a R1 million salary from Moodley.

“Zuma denied being paid by Moodley. He (Zuma) should clear himself by encouraging anyone who has proof of his wrongdoing to go and hand it to the police,” Holomisa said.

The IFP’s Narend Singh said if Pauw or anybody can produce tangible evidence that the allegations were true, the party will write to the Speaker and ask that Zuma be held in contempt of Parliament for misleading the House.

Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota said the party supports the DA’s call to gain access to Royal Security’s employment records for 2009 and a public protector investigation into the alleged breach of the Executive Ethics Code.