How much money will Zuma pay back for Nkandla?
While President Jacob Zuma has agreed to pay back a portion of the public money he spent on his private residence at Nkandla, in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the exact amount has not yet been determined.
The president on Tuesday night that he would be willing to pay back an amount determined by the Auditor-General Thembekile Kimi Makwetu, and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan through an order of the Constitutional Court.
They would be appointed to calculate the portion of the cost of the multi-million rand upgrades at Nkandla not related to security.
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela published a report in March 2014 titled: Secure in Comfort, which found that Zuma had unduly benefited from the R246 million spent on non-security features at his home.
Advocate Madonsela recommended that the president should pay back “a reasonable percentage of the cost”.
However, a much criticised investigation in 2015 by police Minister Nathi Nhleko, cleared Zuma of any misconduct and said he should not have to pay back any money.
On Wednesday Madonsela said she had met with her legal team to discuss the president’s proposal.
Madonsela said that once a figure has been determined by the AG and Treasury, “the president has repeatedly indicated both before this court and before Parliament that… he is willing to be bound by the outcome of a fair and objective process,” his lawyers said in a letter lodged with the registrar of the court.
“He reiterated his willingness to repay any figure so determined,” his legal team said in the letter.
The president’s legal advisor Michael Hulley said in a YouTube video on Wednesday, that the proposed settlement in the Nkandla matter is nothing new.
Hulley said Zuma had asked the Constitutional Court to refer the matter to the auditor-general as well as an official at the national treasury to assist in terms of how much he would have to pay back for non-security upgrades at his private residence.
“He set out to Parliament that he would compose a mechanism to determine those issues [relating to Nkandla]. Likewise in filing those papers in the Concourt in November 2015, he alluded to the fact the he had not at any stage failed to comply with the Public Protector report.”
On Wednesday, the DA said it rejected Zuma’s offer, and would see him in court next week.
The DA is one of two parties taking president Jacob Zuma to the Constitutional Court over the security updgrades – the other being the EFF.
In March last year, the DA said that Zuma owed South Africans R52.9 million for non-security upgrades at Nkandla.
“Based on her (Madonsela) report ‘Secure in Comfort’, the DA has calculated that the president is liable for at least an amount of R52.9m for the non-security upgrades to his private residence,” DA lead Mmusi Miamane said.
Reporting with News24
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