Stefaans Brümmer answers questions about the legality of publishing details from the public protector provisional report into Nkandla.
Upgrades worth R206-million to President Jacob Zuma's home at Nkandla were largely for the benefit of president's staff — according to Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi, the Sunday Times reported.
Part of the expenditure was to save the presidential bodyguards having to drive 75km after work or having to sleep in their vehicles, he said in an interview.
"The president's security had to drop him off and then go and sleep in Eshowe … That not only posed a security risk, but what about those workers' rights?"
Nxesi defended the building of two helipads as "the president flies when he goes to Nkandla".
According to the report, he said the investigation into the upgrades indicated R71-million was spent on security and R135-million was for operational upgrades.
"Part of it were the facilities which were created for the departments [tasked with ensuring Zuma's security] and the personnel of defence and the police … Those are for that personnel, they are not for the president."
Nxesi has been under fire over the findings of the Nkandla task team, which found irregularities in the procurement process for the upgrade.
The team recommended further investigation by the Special Investigating Unit and Auditor General.
Nxesi classified the report, under a 1996 Cabinet directive. The report is being studied by the parliamentary joint standing committee on intelligence.
He said it was up to the committee to decide whether to release the report to the public.
On Tuesday, the Western Cape High Court ruled a Democratic Alliance application for the report on the upgrade was urgent and would be heard in February. – Sapa