Charges of corruption laid against President Jacob Zuma at various police stations have been centralised and are being investigated nationally, police spokesperson Solomon Makgale said on Monday.
“The charges were laid by opposition party members at many police stations,” Makgale said. “It was centralised at national office.”
Makgale would not elaborate on details of the investigation, but suggested police have not brought official charges against Zuma. “We are not even talking charges as yet,” said Makgale.
“Remember, all the political parties, they went into the charge offices and said they wanted us to investigate corruption. They handed the public protector’s report to the charge office.”
Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane laid several charges against Zuma in March relating to upgrades to Zuma’s private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal.
In a written reply to a parliamentary question by Maimane on Friday, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko said the investigation was underway.
“The investigation in this regard has been initiated and no further information can be disclosed at this juncture as the matter is still sub judice,” said Nhleko in the reply. “Suffice to say that all processes have been followed.”
Maimane had wanted to know whether the case was being investigated, who the investigating officers were and the timelines for the probe. Nhleko would not give more information.
Maimane laid the charges shortly after the release of public protector Thuli Madonsela’s final report on the Nkandla upgrades.
In her report, Madonsela found Zuma “unduly benefited from the enormous capital investment” in the Nkandla upgrades, totalling R246-million. – Sapa