Declassify the Nkandla report – Numsa

THE National Union of Metalworkers of SA has called for the declassification of a report into upgrades made to President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home.

The union’s general-secretary, Irvin Jim, said its classification was shocking and had no basis.

He said the public had the right to know details of how and who approved the upgrades, which cost taxpayers about R206-million.

“That classification cannot be right. A dark cloud of public looting hangs through the whole matter, and only through an expeditious and transparent process will we settle the matter,” said Jim.

The report exonerated Zuma and his cabinet of any wrongdoing in connection with the upgrades in Nkandla.

Jim said the Nkandla debacle represents the “worst form of squandering” of public resources to please tenderpreneurs.

Jim repeated calls for a Cosatu special national congress that he believes was the only way to resolve the differences between the union federation’s leaders.

Numsa, a staunch backer of besieged Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, said yesterday that the congress would be the correct platform to put to rest the differences.

Jim said it would engage the federation ’ s affiliates about the decision taken at its national executive committee meeting that ended on Wednesday.