Nkandla: Invoices show Jacob Zuma personally benefitted from palace upgrades

Today’s Sunday Times exposé confirms what South Africans have long held, that Jacob Zuma personally benefitted from the upgrades which took place at his R247 million private Nkandla residence.

This contradicts what Zuma previously articulated in Parliament where he stated that he and his family had not benefitted materially from the upgrades.

Zuma previously told Parliament that “My residence in Nkandla was paid for by the Zuma family. All the buildings and every room we use in that residence was built by ourselves as a family and not by government. I have never asked government to build a home for me, and it has not done so.”

He also said that “What the security has done for security features does not include the houses you have counted. They are neither in my residence nor my home.”

The information release by the Sunday Times today, which was not made available to the Public Protector during her investigation into Nkandla, shows that taxpayers money was spent on Zuma’s private residences in Nkandla including items such as air conditioning, aluminum windows, paved walkways and even six door mats which each cost R1500.  

It is unacceptable that Zuma can be allowed to trample on the institution of Parliament by lying to it and by repeatedly evading accountability to the people of South Africa by Parliament.

The Speaker has a duty to uphold and protect the integrity of the institution of Parliament. 

As such, I have written to the Speaker today to request that she write to Zuma on behalf Parliament to ask him to explain his previous verbal and written correspondence to the House. The Speaker must stand up for Parliament and to the President by demanding that this explanation is provided without delay.

Zuma clearly misled Parliament and the people of South Africa in order to evade accountably when he told Parliament that his family had not benefitted from the security upgrades. 

The DA has long contended that Zuma was fully aware of the upgrades at his private residence and had full knowledge of the escalating costs.

Everything Zuma touches turns into a corrupt act, whether it is the upgrades at his private residence or the appointment of Cabinet Ministers, all at the expense of the people of South Africa.

This information adds the growing body of evidence, which points to a man who is not fit to serve as President, and I again call on the ANC to recall Zuma.

South Africa cannot be led by a man who blatantly disregard the Rule of Law and the Constitution in order to enrich himself and a cabal of people close to him.

The DA will not rest for as long as the people of South Africa suffer from acts of corruption. We therefore call on citizens to use the Local Government Elections to vote for the DA, which has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to, inter alia, corruption.

Statement issued by DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, 27 March 2016