SIU Report: Nkandla architect to pay but what about Zuma?

12 September 2014

The Democratic Alliance notes that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) Report into Nkandla was yesterday submitted to Parliament. However, we are concerned that the SIU investigation commissioned by President Jacob Zuma appears to lay blame with the architect, Mr Minenhle Makhanya, who is said to be liable for R155 million (see here - PDF).

While Mr Makhanya may be liable for inflating certain costs, the Public Protector's Secure in Comfort report cannot be ignored in favour of the SIU's report. The Public Protector found that President Zuma improperly and unduly benefited from the Nkandla upgrades and ordered him personally to pay "a reasonable percentage of the cost". This remedial action is only capable of being varied by a review application in court.

The SIU report expressly states that "The President did not request the security upgrade." Be this as it may, the report found that "The President or his family were enriched" from the non-security upgrades. When considered with the Public Protector's finding that the President was on various occasions briefed on the upgrades, both non-security and security related, informally and formally, it is clear that the President was fully aware of what was happening at his private residence, and how much was accruing to him privately. The President cannot pretend to be a 'victim of generosity'.

The work of the Nkandla Ad Hoc Committee, which is tasked by Parliament to hold all accountable for the R246 million undue benefit at Nkandla, must in its deliberations consider all reports and their recommendations and remedial action steps. The Committee must identify inconsistencies between the various reports and ask those who drew them up to explain those inconsistencies.

The Democratic Alliance also notes that of all the investigations into the Nkandla security upgrades, the only independent report is that of the Public Protector. The veracity of the investigations undertaken by the SIU, Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) and the Inter-Ministerial Task Team are compromised as the investigators themselves report to the President, directly or indirectly, who is the subject of the investigations.

With all the reports made public, now is the time for accountability.

Statement issued by Mmusi Maimane MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, September 12 2014

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter