Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi has admitted that the security upgrade of President Jacob Zuma's home in Nkandla.
Michael and Joseph Zuma allegedly had supplies by electrical company Voltex delivered to their homes as part of the “prestige project”, according to the Sunday Times.
The information was submitted in court papers filed by Voltex in the high court in Durban.
Voltex went to the court to recoup R545,249 it says it is owed by building contractor Pamela Mfeka. She was allegedly awarded a R47.6-million contract by the department of public works to construct six buildings in Nkandla.
The newspaper said according to the court papers, Mfeka had defaulted on the payment for electrical cables and other goods supplied for Zuma’s home as well as his brothers’.
Michael denied that any work had been done to either his home or Joseph’s. There is no project here,” he told the newspaper.
Over budget
Meanwhile, Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi has admitted that the security upgrade of President Jacob Zuma’s home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, has gone over budget, the City Press reported on Sunday. “It is clear in this case that people went over the budget,” Nxesi told Kaya FM host John Perlman on Thursday.
He reportedly said an internal public works investigation into the upgrade would be concluded next week, and that the findings would be made public.
Nxesi told Perlman it was “very clear” the prices charged for the upgrade were “questionable”.
He blamed the building industry, and said it was “likely you will be exploited”.
He said the public had the right to be upset about the cost of the upgrade – reportedly about R250-million – but should give his department a chance to investigate.
Zuma told Parliament last month the government was paying to upgrade the security at his home, but that he had taken out a bond to pay for the rest of the upgrade. – Sapa