Reply given, but issues ducked

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma left it to the last minute to submit his official response to parliament on the Public Protector’s Nkandla report, only to sidestep the burning issues raised by Thuli Madonsela.

Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said yesterday afternoon that Zuma had filed his response to National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu but would only provide parliament with a “full and proper” explanation once he had received the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) report on Nkandla.

Advocate Vas Soni, the head of the SIU, said he only expected to submit his report to Zuma “towards the end of May or early June”.

The R246-million security upgrades on the president’s homestead in rural KwaZuluNatal has so far been investigated by three state institutions – the Public Protector, cabinet’s security cluster task team and SIU which was yet to conclude its probe.

Madonsela released her controversial report on Nkandla a fortnight ago and found that Zuma and his family had unduly benefited from the non-security upgrades such as a swimming pool, a kraal, a cattle culvert and an amphitheatre.

She has since recommended that Zuma repay the state a percentage of the related costs and had given the president 14 days to submit his response on the matter to parliament, which expired yesterday.

“Noting that three state agencies or institutions … have all inquired into the same subject matter, the president has decided that he will give a full and proper consideration to all the matters before him and, upon receipt of the SIU report, will provide parliament with a further report on the decisive executive interventions that he would consider to be appropriate,” said Maharaj.

Sisulu’s office was tight-lipped on the contents of its correspondence with Zuma, saying only that the parliament’s announcement notices would be made available to the public.