How the controversy played out

March 19 2014 – Public protector Thuli Madonsela releases her report of her investigation of the security upgrades at President Jacob Zuma’s homestead in Nkandla. She orders Zuma to pay a reasonable portion for the nonsecurity related upgrades.

August 21 2014 – EFF MPs are thrown out of parliament during a question-and-answer session after demanding that Zuma inform the nation when he would pay a portion of the money.

December 22 2014 – Zuma tells the SABC that he did “absolutely nothing wrong” and no report found he did anything wrong.

February 12 2015 – EFF MPs are thrown out of parliament again after disrupting Zuma’s state of the nation address, demanding to know when the president would pay back the money as ordered by Madonsela.

May 28 2015 – Police Minister Nathi Nhleko announces that Zuma is not required to pay for the non-security upgrades despite Madonsela ordering him to do so. Nhleko had been asked by Madonsela to determine how much the president was liable to pay.

July 28 2015 – Zuma’s former spin doctor Mac Maharaj reveals that he told his then boss to prepare for repayment of part of the R246-million spent on the upgrades.

August 6 2015 – EFF leader Julius Malema asks Zuma in parliament when he will pay back the money but the president promises to respond further to the debate once all processes have been concluded.

November 9 2015 – Madonsela tells AFP that she still hopes Zuma will have a change of heart and “decide that, despite the advice he got, he wants to do the right thing”.