Zuma ready for fight over Nkandla report

TODAY is judgment day in the saga of President Jacob Zuma's R206-million Nkandla security upgrade, but analysts warn he will use every trick in the book to avoid being held accountable if public protector Thuli Madonsela's 400-page report implicates him in any wrongdoing.

Millions of rands of taxpayers' money have been splurged on his private residence, including the construction of a kraal, chicken coop, fence, spaza shop and pool.

Madonsela's provisional report, leaked last year, reportedly found that Zuma had misled parliament and she recommended that he repay public money spent on the upgrades.

Institute for Accountability in South Africa director Paul Hoffman said yesterday that "unless we are given some very fancy explanation", Madonsela would find Zuma accountable for the spending on Nkandla.

He said Zuma would use every trick in the book and "a couple of others yet to be invented" to cast doubt on the public protector's findings.

"Show me another house in South Africa on which R206-million was spent on the security of one person and I might be persuaded that it was cost-effective," he said.

The ANC has said it will ignore Madonsela's findings. Political analyst Prince Mashele said Zuma was not "morally troubled by an adverse image around him". "He will find mechanisms to undermine the office of the public protector."

Mashele said if Madonsela found that Zuma had misled parliament he would have to resign.

"Zuma has made the commitment to parliament that he paid for the upgrades in Nkandla. If the public protector finds otherwise, that would mean he lied to parliament.

"But I have no doubt that, given the kind of president we are dealing with, he would not even imagine resigning."

The DA has vowed to push for Zuma's impeachment if the report finds him accountable.

Spending on Nkandla includes R71.2-million on the construction of a 4m-high retaining wall, relocation of a cattle kraal and construction of a culvert to prevent cattle from damaging electronic security equipment.

More than R130-million was spent on accommodation for security personnel, and R54.8-million on a clinic, helipad and access road.

In November 2012, Zuma told parliament he was still paying off a bond for the construction of "every single house" in his compound.He was not party to specifying the security upgrades on his property, he said. - Sipho Masombuka