President Zuma admits that National Key Points Act processes not followed on ‘Nkandlagate'

In a reply to my parliamentary question, President Zuma has revealed that he did not receive a notification that his Nkandla home had been declared a National Key Point, as is required by Section 3 of the National Key Point Act of 1980. He has also admitted that he was not requested to make any financial contribution, also provided for in this section, by the Minister of Police; and that this may still take place.

This flouting of the processes provided for in the National Key Point Act is further evidence that it has been abused by the executive to hide details of the more than R250 million upgrade to President Zuma's private home in Nkandla. 

I will send this parliamentary reply to the Public Protector, Adv. Thuli Mandonsela, who is currently investigating this scandal, as well as to the Chairperson of the Standing Committee of Public Accounts, Themba Godi. Furthermore, I will request that the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthetwa and the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Noluthando Mapisa-Nqakula urgently clarify publicly what seems to be an admittance by the President that they have violated this law; and that they provide this information to the Public Protector without any delay.

I will also ask that both Ministers correct this failure and request that the President pay for this upgrade. Section 3 of the National Key Point Act empowers them to do so and there can be no excuse as to why the President should be excluded from paying what he owes to the public purse.

This latest development in the on-going ‘Nkandlagate' only supports suspicions that the National Key Point Act has been utilised solely to provide a smokescreen behind which the government could use public money to lavishly and inappropriately spend hundreds of millions of rands on the President. This must be met with accountability, and I will do everything possible to ensure that this happens.

Statement issued by Lindiwe Mazibuko MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, December 17 2012

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