Opposition parties respond to Nkandla report

Jaimie-faith Poonah
29 May 2015

Opposition parties say they are not surprised about the outcome of the Nkandla report.

On Thursday Minister of Police Nkosinathi Nhleko found President Jacob Zuma not liable to pay back any money for non-security upgrades to his Nkandla homestead.

The Democratic Alliance says the outcome of the report is an insult to the South African people.

DA Leader Mmusi Maimane Spokesperson Mabine Seabe said we cannot accept that the swimming pools and other things like those are part of security features.

Seabe said late last year we did our own calculation and found that the president owes at least R52.9 million for the non-security features.

“At the moment we are considering our options going forward; we want the Ad Hoc Committee to make the terms of references broad as possible, so that we can interrogate this report. At the end of the day the Public Protector’s report was ignored, this is a constitutionally mandated body and it cannot be that the Minister of police can agree with this to protect his boss” Seabe added.

Meanwhile Minister Nhleko said all of these security features which include the fire pool, the animal enclosure, the visitors centre and the amphitheatre are in accordance with the physical security requirements.

People of the Congress’s Dennis Bloem said that this report shows once again that the government led by President Zuma does not have any respect for the Constitution of the country.

Bloem said we have expected this long ago, that the president will be defended and protected by these ministers. It is a total disgrace that these ministers can say that the president is not liable to pay any cent.

“The Public Protector’s report of the findings and recommendations, were recommending that the president must pay a portion of the money that was spent on that private building” Bloem added.