This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/28/south-african-president-jacob-zuma-residence-upgrades
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Jacob Zuma will not have to repay money spent to upgrade his home | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The South African president, Jacob Zuma, will not have to repay any of the public money spent on upgrades to his private residence, which have been pilloried as lavish and wasteful. | |
| The police minister, Nkosinathi Nhleko, determined that all of the upgrades were for security purposes and that “the state president is therefore not liable to pay”. | |
| The 246m rand (£13.2m) expenditure on Zuma’s private residence at Nkandla in rural KwaZulu-Natal province has been one of the biggest scandals to dog the embattled head of state. | The 246m rand (£13.2m) expenditure on Zuma’s private residence at Nkandla in rural KwaZulu-Natal province has been one of the biggest scandals to dog the embattled head of state. |
| Zuma was accused of deceiving parliament about the expense and scope of the security upgrade and last year, public protector Thuli Madonsela, the country’s ombudswoman, found that the president and his family had “unduly benefited” from the work on his home and should repay some of the money. | Zuma was accused of deceiving parliament about the expense and scope of the security upgrade and last year, public protector Thuli Madonsela, the country’s ombudswoman, found that the president and his family had “unduly benefited” from the work on his home and should repay some of the money. |
| The work included a swimming pool, amphitheatre, visitor centre, cattle enclosure and chicken coop. | The work included a swimming pool, amphitheatre, visitor centre, cattle enclosure and chicken coop. |
| Related: Jacob Zuma's palatial folly sparks anger and resentment amid poverty | Related: Jacob Zuma's palatial folly sparks anger and resentment amid poverty |
| Under public pressure, Zuma nominated the minister of police – a Zuma appointee – to determine how much he should repay. | Under public pressure, Zuma nominated the minister of police – a Zuma appointee – to determine how much he should repay. |
| In a two-hour news conference Nhleko made a painstaking – and at times bizarre – examination of the findings of three inquiries into the matter. | In a two-hour news conference Nhleko made a painstaking – and at times bizarre – examination of the findings of three inquiries into the matter. |
| He concluded that the swimming pool was a “firepool” needed to fight any blaze at the mainly thatched compound, while the cattle enclosure and chicken run were necessary to prevent the animals tripping motion detectors as they roamed about. | He concluded that the swimming pool was a “firepool” needed to fight any blaze at the mainly thatched compound, while the cattle enclosure and chicken run were necessary to prevent the animals tripping motion detectors as they roamed about. |
| A visitors’ centre was also a security feature, he said, and what the public protector described as an amphitheatre was in fact a series of terraced retaining walls. | A visitors’ centre was also a security feature, he said, and what the public protector described as an amphitheatre was in fact a series of terraced retaining walls. |
| The minister showed the press conference several videos to support the findings, including one of a firehose pumping water from the swimming pool. | The minister showed the press conference several videos to support the findings, including one of a firehose pumping water from the swimming pool. |
| The intense scrutiny of the homestead brought on by public anger over the expenditure has given rise to what could be one of the most minute public examinations of security systems at the residence of any head of state. | The intense scrutiny of the homestead brought on by public anger over the expenditure has given rise to what could be one of the most minute public examinations of security systems at the residence of any head of state. |
| Architects and contractors have been accused by Zuma’s supporters of inflating costs, while critics say he could not have been unaware of what was happening at his own home. | Architects and contractors have been accused by Zuma’s supporters of inflating costs, while critics say he could not have been unaware of what was happening at his own home. |
| Parliament collapsed in chaos more than once over the issue, with radical opposition lawmakers on their feet and demanding that Zuma “pay back the money”. | Parliament collapsed in chaos more than once over the issue, with radical opposition lawmakers on their feet and demanding that Zuma “pay back the money”. |
| Even with this ruling, those demands are unlikely to stop. The scandal has tarnished the reputation of the African National Congress, which brought liberation hero Nelson Mandela to power when apartheid ended more than 20 years ago. | Even with this ruling, those demands are unlikely to stop. The scandal has tarnished the reputation of the African National Congress, which brought liberation hero Nelson Mandela to power when apartheid ended more than 20 years ago. |
| Zuma has also denied that he had interfered with police and prosecuting authorities to ensure there were no further investigations into 700 other corruption charges against him, which were dropped shortly before he became president in 2009. | Zuma has also denied that he had interfered with police and prosecuting authorities to ensure there were no further investigations into 700 other corruption charges against him, which were dropped shortly before he became president in 2009. |