Don wouldn’t have paid for Nkandla
THE Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust will not be resuscitated to help the president settle his R7.8-million bill for non-security upgrades to his Nkandla homestead.
“Those who want to assist the president have a right to assist the president,” businessman Don Mkhwanazi told Sowetan the night before he died.
Mkhwanazi died on Friday of a heart attack at age 63.
Mkhwanazi, one of the trust’s founders, spoke to Sowetan last Thursday.
“If the president is your friend, you can assist him. But in so far as the Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust is concerned, we established it for a particular purpose … which was realised because we felt as if Zuma was being ill-treated, was being ridiculed for wrong reasons.
“So we fought, he was reinstated and he became the president of the country. So we’re done,” he said.
Zuma, who the Constitutional Court ordered to foot the bill for the construction of a swimming pool, chicken run, visitor’s centre and amphitheatre at his Nkandla homestead as ordered by public protector Thuli Madonsela, has been given 45 days to pay back the money.
“If other people want to do anything, they can do it,” said Mkhwanazi.
He said the trust had concluded its work.
“I can’t resuscitate the Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust because it did its job, isn’t it? Why should I resuscitate something that has done its job, why?”
The trust was set up in 2006 to raise funds for Zuma when he was facing rape and corruption charges.
Mkhwanazi said Zuma had a large number of friends who were free to assist him to settle the multi-million rand Nkandla bill.
“Those who want to assist him, they must assist him. He has very many (sic) friends, it is amazing.
“There are many people who want to start something similar to the Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust and they have a right to do that,” said Mkhwanazi.
He said those who felt Zuma should not get help in paying back the money were exercising their democratic right to air the view.
In a democracy different views are welcomed, isn’t it?
Soon after the Constitutional Court announced it had accepted the report from National Treasury on the amount Zuma should pay back, the Presidency warned members of the public about social media scams where people were being asked to deposit money into bank accounts to raise funds.
“You know people who are thieves and frauds always take advantage of any situation. It is an opportunity for them to make money not to help Zuma,” Mkhwanazi said.