I will pay back the money – Zuma
YESTERDAY’s question and answer session in Parliament could signal the end of the protracted Nkandla impasse, after President Jacob Zuma said he would “pay back the money” as soon as he knew how much he owed for non-security upgrades to his rural home.
An agitated and emotional Zuma yesterday hit back at the opposition, saying at no point has he “dodged” Parliament, as the question around the exorbitant expenditure on his private home came back to haunt both him and the legislature.
Zuma’s answers have put the ball firmly in the court of Police Minister Nathi Nhleko, who now has the unenviable job of determining how much money his boss must pay back to state coffers.
“Never have I thought of the date when I will pay back money. There is no money I will be paying back without a determination by those authorised to do so as recommended by the Public Protector,” said Zuma.
He said whenever Parliament requested him to appear before the National Assembly, he made the time.
“I’ve never refused. I was standing here (on August 21) having not refused, having not dodged to answer questions in Parliament as you have been saying. I was sitting here and I answered two questions of the six. The third one I answered many times. I was asked by the EFF many times. They wanted the answer they wanted, not what I was answering,” said Zuma to applause to from the ANC benches.
The opposition, in particular the EFF, had until yesterday failed to get Zuma to account and engage the National Assembly on the matter of paying back the money, since the disrupted sitting in August.
The question and answer session was delayed by more than an hour as MPs debated and pleaded with Speaker Baleka Mbete to get Zuma to answer outstanding questions.
In what was almost a repeat of his response to the debate on his State of the Nation address, Zuma took on MPs head-on as he responded to a barrage of questions from the Nkandla upgrades to the criminal justice system and the economy.
Responding to a question from DA parliamentary leader, Mmusi Maimane, on a date to deal with outstanding questions, Zuma said: “I’m not giv- ing you a date, dates.”
EFF leader Julius Malema said: “The SIU (Special Investigation Unit) has conducted an investigation and has put a figure on non-security features. The point is, you need to commit that once the police minister, working with finance, have
I don’t give determined the remedial actions of the Public Protector on how much needs to be paid, will you indeed comply with the Public Protector’s remedial actions.”
Zuma said the government task team investigation “did not find that I took even a penny”. “The SIU also investi- gated, they didn’t find that I took even a penny. Then the Public Protector made recommendations and recommendations are recommendation and are not verdicts,” said Zuma.
Zuma will be back in Parliament on May 14 where he will answer questions in the National Council of Provinces.