Replies by President Jacob Zuma to questions for oral reply in the National Assembly

24. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:

(1)  Whether he instructed his Minister of Public Works to cease all building on his Nkandla home pending the outcome of an investigation announced by the Public Protector; if not, why not; if so, when;

(2)  whether his instruction was carried out; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?   NO3849E

REPLY:

Honourable Member, let me make one thing quite clear from the onset. 

I have noted all sorts of public comments to the effect that government built my home in Nkandla.

My residence in Nkandla has been paid for by the Zuma family. All the buildings and every room we use in that residence, was built by ourselves as family and not by government.

I have never asked government to build a home for me, and it has not done so.

A necessary distinction must therefore be made between work which I have mandated and initiated in my home, as opposed to the security enhancement undertaken by government.

On the basis of a security risk assessment undertaken by a team drawn from the Departments of Defence and Military Veterans, Police and State Security, I was approached to allow security upgrades to be made to my Nkandla residence.

I was advised that the security upgrades were indeed necessary in terms of the National Key Points Act 102 of 1980.

Therefore all the security enhancements that have been undertaken by the Department of Public Works at my residence in Nkandla have been part of these security requirements.

Any other construction undertaken by government, outside the perimeter of my home, such as the accommodation for government security personnel, are not part of my residence. 

I have been advised by the Minister of Public Works that he has established a Task Team of experts to investigate whether supply chain procedures were properly followed by the Department in carrying out the security upgrades.

In addition, the Auditor-General has been requested to audit all classified Prestige projects.

The Minister has also instructed the Department to cooperate with investigations by any other authorized agency. I fully support these investigations.

We will not preempt the outcome of these investigations or respond to speculation at this stage. We must respect the institutions that are investigating, and the processes that have been started.

Should the investigations unearth wrongdoing of any kind, the necessary actions will be taken, as we have done in respect of irregularity in other instances.

I thank you.

Issued by The Presidency, November 15 2012

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