The Mail & Guardian on Friday revealed key findings of the public protector on the R215-million "security upgrade" at President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla homestead.
Public protector Thuli Madonsela provisionally found that Zuma derived "substantial" personal benefit from works that exceeded security needs at his Nkandla homestead and must repay the state.
Cabinet members justified the spending, saying it was essential to the president's security.
Key allegations in the report include:
- Costs escalated from an initial R27-million to R215-million, with a further R31-million in works outstanding;
- There was "uncontrolled creep" of the project's scope after Zuma's private architect, at Zuma's behest, assumed a second hat as the public works department's "principal agent". This meant he was conflicted, serving two masters with divergent needs; and
- Another four firms that Zuma had privately engaged for his own work were taken on by the department without following tender procedures.
Why did the M&G publish the secret report? Will the revelations of the provisional report be bad news for the public protector? amaBhungane reporter Stefaans Brümmer, who wrote the story, will explain everything on an M&G Hangout at 1pm on Friday.
Sign up here to receive newsletters about our future hangouts.
You can post your questions in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter using the tag #MGhangout.