SA MPs shocked by Nkandla upgrade
ASouth African parliamentary committee has found that work on President Jacob Zuma’s private home was not worth the $23 million it cost taxpayers.
A visit to the residence in Nkandla also revealed that the upgrades suffered from poor workmanship, according to the MPS.
The government said the refurbishment was for security reasons.
But a 2014 corruption investiga- tion said the president “benefitted unduly” from state money.
In a more than 400-page report, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela accused Zuma of unethical conduct.
Her report found that a pool, chicken run, cow enclosure and amphitheatre had also been included in the controversial upgrades, and she recommended that the president repay some of the money.
But Police minister Nkosinathi Nhleko who released a separate report on May 28 cleared Zuma of any wrongdoing, saying all work done on the property was necessary for his protection.
According to Nhleko’s calculations, the barracks and clinic outside the president’s property cost $10,8m to build.
But MPS from both the governing ANC and opposition parties, who are looking at what steps should be taken following their visit, now agree that the prices were grossly inflated.
“We were also shocked with the workmanship of the clinic... At the moment, I would say that facility requires a lot of work because it is clearly visible that money has been wasted,” said chairperson of the committee MP Cedric Frolick.
They do not however agree on who should be held accountable for the wasteful expenditure — Zuma supporters insist it should not be him.
Opposition parties, including the Economic Freedom Fighter’s led by Zuma’s former ally, Julius Malema, have been calling for the president to pay back some of the money spent on non-security features.
The MPS have been talking about their initial findings but are expected to report back to parliament.
The president has refused to do this as he argues that he did not ask for the upgrades, raising the ire of many South Africans.
— BBC