Nkandlagate risks seriously undermining the integrity of the office of the President, says the DA's Lindiwe Mazibuko.
"President Zuma must come clean with South Africa and answer questions on the amounts being spent on the revamp of his home, including his own contribution," Democratic Alliance Parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said on Wednesday in a statement.
"Nkandlagate risks seriously undermining the integrity of the office of the president … The time has come for President Zuma to realise that keeping quiet will not make this scandal go away."
Mazibuko said she submitted a parliamentary question to Zuma asking him to declare how much of the total expenditure he would be paying.
She also said submitted questions to the defence, military and police ministries to find out when Nkandla was declared a national key point.
"Unless they reveal this information, the suspicions will remain that they may be improperly using the National Key Point Act to hide damaging information.
Integrity
"He must answer questions on Nkandlagate and protect the integrity of the office he holds," Mazibuko said.
City Press reported R203-million of state funds would be spent on the upgrade, with Zuma paying only 5% of the bill – around R10-million.
On October 5, Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi said Zuma's Nkandla home was not unique and was part of the work undertaken at various security sites.
"When President Zuma was elected president, it was a requirement understood by all that the security would have to be beefed up at places of high security risk," Nxesi said at the time.
He said the same upgrades were done in Houghton and Qunu, where former president Nelson Mandela's homes were situated; at the Union Buildings; at the president's office at Tuynhuis; Parliament; and at King's House in Durban. – Sapa