Maimane’s not letting Zuma off the hook

THE DA has reiterated its threat to take President Jacob Zuma to court for defying the public protector’s report on state spending at his home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.

DA parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane said yesterday that the draft report of the ad hoc committee set up to report to the National Assembly on Nkandla was a whitewash and without credibility.

“It clears President Zuma of any involvement in the gross escalation of costs, and clears him of any knowledge of what happened at his private home.

“Yet we know that President Zuma was regularly briefed on the project at Nkandla through his appointed architect.”

Maimane says that “any outcome other than answering that question will be a travesty” of parliamentary process.

“The DA will exhaust all options of accountability for the Nkandla scandal. This may include taking President Zuma to court.”

The report said Zuma had not requested the security upgrades to his home in rural KwaZulu-Natal and was therefore “at no fault, as they sprung up around him, growing more and more lavish by the day”.

The ruling party says its view that Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's findings are not binding on persons and organs of state has been vindicated by a Western Cape High Court ruling.

Madonsela is planning to take the judgment on review. – Sapa