Nkandla: the reply that caused all the fuss

Cape Town - A parliamentary reply has set the cat among the pigeons as the SAPS confirmed that they are investigating opposition parties-initiated corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma over the R215 million taxpayer-funded security upgrades at his Nkandla rural homestead.

On Monday morning the SAPS again confirmed they are investigating the case laid at the Nkandla police station by the DA earlier this year, and similar cases by, among others, the EFF.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane in parliamentary question 322 asked whether CAS 123/03/2014 - the case of eight corruption charges he opened at the Nkandla police station in March - was being investigated, by whom and by when would it be completed.

“The investigation in this regard has been initiated and no further information can be disclosed at this juncture as the matter is still sub judice. Suffice to say that all processes have been followed,” said Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko in the parliamentary reply, which quietly slipped into circulation late on Thursday.

In a bizarre twist, this reply came a day after Nhleko had asked the National Assembly to allow for the standing over of a similar DA question for oral reply in the House due to his absence.

During last Wednesday’s question slot for the peace and security ministerial cluster, however, State Security Minister David Mahlobo, acting on Nhleko’s behalf, answered an ANC question on crime statistics.

At the time of bringing the charges earlier this year, Maimane said: “There can be no doubt that this Nkandla palace was built on corruption by the president, and for the president – with our money. That is why the charges laid against the president today are for the crime of corruption”.

At the time the SAPS went on record that the case would be investigated.

This comes as Parliament’s Nkandla ad hoc committee is set to finalise its report on the Nkandla saga.

Last week it became clear the ANC MPs remaining on the committee after an opposition party walkout would reject the public protector finding Zuma had unduly benefited and should repay some of the money spent on, among others, the swimming pool and cattle kraal.

The committee instead fingered officials from public works, SAPS, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and state security for not having done their work, and allowing extravagant overspend to incur under Nkandla presidential architect Minenhle Makhanya. In deliberations so far it emerged that Zuma did not ask for the security upgrades and there was no evidence Zuma tried to influence the security upgrades.

To date some 12 senior public officials are facing disciplinary proceedings, arising out of recommendations from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report rather than the public protector’s findings, and Makhanya is contesting a R155m civil claim brought by the SIU to recover money it says the state lost6.

The parliamentary Nkandla ad hoc committee’s report, recommendations and findings are expected to be tabled in the National Assembly on Friday.

A heated debate is expected as opposition parties - the DA, EFF, United Democratic Movement (UDM) and Cope - will try push for the acceptance of their own alternate report into the security upgrade debacle.

- Political Bureau