The charges were prompted by the release of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s final report on the upgrades to Zuma’s private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal. The report found Zuma “unduly benefited from the enormous capital investment” in the Nkandla upgrades, totalling R246 million. Madonsela said Makhanya had made R16.5 million as Zuma’s architect and as the public works department’s principal agent for the Nkandla project.
Malema also added a racketeering charge just “because Zuma operated with criminals”. The Times online quoted Malema as saying: “Let me help the police here… Zuma does not allow electronic transfers, I have worked with him. He doesn’t take cheques either.”
He said Zuma should be charged following Madonsela’s report and be arrested. Zuma’s children should also be investigated and a lifestyle audit conducted. “He has a son who collects the cash for him. All his children must be investigated,” Malema told cheering supporters. He accused the ANC of arrogance, and said it had been protecting one man since 2005.
The EFF also ran a story on their own website apparently first written by InternAfrica saying even if President Jacob Zuma ploughed his entire salary into paying off the unnecessary upgrades to Nkandla, it would take him nearly 40 years to do so. “In the wake of the release of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report, opposition parties have echoed her call for Zuma to reimburse the state for extravagant upgrades to his private home.
The DA has also laid charges similar to the EFF. The basis of the charges, and the ultimate directive of Madonsela’s findings, was for Zuma, with the assistance of the National Treasury and the police, to pay back part of the total cost of upgrades that she found did not pertain directly to the security at the compound.
These include the visitors centre, amphitheatre, cattle kraal, chicken run, and swimming pool, all which total nearly R79m.
