Cover-up claims in row over Nkandla upgrades
THE row over allegations that
R203 million in public funds is being used to upgrade President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home escalated yesterday after Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi announced a probe into how City Press came into possession of a “top-secret” document “illegally” and the DA called for him to come to Parliament to account.
Nxesi is refusing to divulge details of any work carried out at the president’s Nkandla home on the basis that this information is protected from disclosure under the National Key Points Act 102 of 1980.
He is also claiming that any work done related to security arrangements is above board – but this has been questioned by constitutional expert Pierre de Vos.
City Press on Sunday reported that Public Works would be spending R203m, with Zuma picking up only 5 percent of the tab, about R10m. Citing documents in its possession, it said the plans included homes for security staff, a helipad, a clinic for Zuma and his family, underground living quarters and a fence around the entire property.
In a statement yesterday, Nxesi said: “We are not aware of the amounts referred to in the City Press article.”
However, he said that Public Works was responsible for “general maintenance, renovations and upgrading of state-owned and private residences of members of cabinet, including that of the president”.
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He said that Public Works would “not be in a position to divulge details of security improvements carried out” at Nkandla.
Nxesi said it was “evident that City Press is illegally in possession of a topsecret document… This therefore calls for an investigation… to determine how the City Press illegally ended up in possession of this document.”
The DA accused Nxesi of “shooting the messenger” and said it wanted him to come to Parliament to account both for his department’s role in the Nkandla spending and the probe into City Press.
DA spokeswoman Anchen Dreyer said she had written to the chairwoman on Parliament’s public works oversight committee, Manana Catherine Mabuza, to ask that a meeting be “convened immediately” and for Nxesi to brief it.
Dreyer said Nxesi needed to justify the alleged R203m expenditure when Zuma already had use of a number of presidential residences. Other questions included:
Whether the department had budgeted properly for the spending.
Whether the Presidency had given a directive to the department to allocate funds for the revamp.
Whether the money was shifted from other projects.
What the grounds were for investigating the newspaper.
Dreyer questioned how a department which Nxesi himself had acknowledged was in disarray could “build the president a palace”.
The Freedom Front Plus said there were more than enough state buildings to choose from with sufficient security in place.