Zuma letters of reprimand a joke: DA

DA leader Mmusi Maimane has described the letters of reprimand sent by President Jacob Zuma to ministers involved in the Nkandla scandal as “a joke”.

Maimane said the letters‚ tabled by Zuma in parliament and published yesterday‚ did not constitute a reprimand “by any normal understanding of the word”.

“The letters reinforce President Zuma’s arrogant refusal to accept that he did anything wrong‚” he said.

Maimane said the letters did not specifically reprimand the ministers for their involvement in this unacceptable abuse of public funds‚ and for their role over the course of several years in trying to hide facts and shield the president from accountability.

“The reprimand should have [specified] what each minister did wrong.”

He said the DA had forwarded the letters to its legal team‚ asking them to advise on whether they constituted an adequate reprimand as envisioned by the public protector.

“If not‚ we will not hesitate to seek to compel the president to reprimand these ministers fully and thoroughly.”