Zuma at last breaks silence on Nkandla
by Setumo Stone and Natasha Marrian,
2014-05-06 06:10:22.0
LESS than two days before the polls open, President Jacob Zuma on Monday broke his months of silence over the Nkandla scandal, volunteering personal information and details of the security analysis.
The speaking out appears to be an attempt to turn the tables on critics of the R246m expenditure on his private Nkandla homestead.
Mr Zuma responded to questions on Nkandla in greater detail than at a previous media briefing. He explained what had led to the security upgrades and revealed that the property had been torched and one of his wives raped before. "There was a court case, people were charged, arrested and convicted," Mr Zuma said.
Security at Nkandla had always been an issue. The whole truth about Nkandla has yet to be told and he had not yet expressed his full views on matter, which he would do at the right time, Mr Zuma said.
The African National Congress (ANC) has consistently dismissed the controversy around the Nkandla upgrades as non-issue for the election.
Analysts described the sudden change in Mr Zuma’s approach to the Nkandla matter as "cynical", particularly his reference to traumatic, personal issues.
Mr Zuma has briefly dealt with Nkandla on his ANC campaign trail, but maintained a belligerent tone towards the "clever people" who criticised him.
ANC insiders downplayed the significance of Monday’s developments, saying Mr Zuma was emboldened by the reaction the party had received from grassroots members on the issue and that it had not caused as much damage as initially expected.
But political analyst Mcebisi Ndletyana said Mr Zuma’s change of strategy revealed the opposite to be the truth. Nkandla was not as harmless as the ANC pretended it was.
Mr Zuma wanted to minimise the importance of the matter by speaking in detail and using the rape of his wife to demonstrate the importance of security, Mr Ndletyana said. "He is using it to suggest that we do not care.
"Nobody is questioning the necessity of providing security for the president. The issue is with the excessiveness of the upgrade to the extent that some things were not security features."
Mr Ndletyana said ANC election volunteers had encountered questions on Nkandla while on the campaign trail.
The public protector’s investigation into Nkandla found that Mr Zuma had unduly benefited from public money spent on his home. He was ordered to repay a portion of it.
Mr Zuma declared he would never abide by the public protector’s recommendations.
Political analyst Steven Friedman said "despite the official line that Nkandla is a middle-class issue, it is clear that people in the ANC are concerned".
Mr Friedman said Mr Zuma had probably been advised to change tactics and appear to be open on the matter. "It does not help much but raises more questions about why he decided to open up now.
"Nobody has suggested that the presidential residence should not be secure. The argument is not that the president should not be safe."
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said Mr Zuma’s move was "a clear and deliberate attempt to present himself as a person and make himself look vulnerable".
"He is killing Nkandla (as an issue) ... (so that) people will sympathise with him."
Mr Zuma said the "original" issue regarding Nkandla had been that he acted dishonestly by building his private home using state funds. But the reports of the public protector and the interministerial task team had proved the allegation wrong.
He could not be "responsible for construction and (be expected) know that so-and-so inflated prices", Mr Zuma said. "I’m running the country, not a construction (company)."
He added that most of the R246m had been invested in government property such as the clinic. This had not been clearly explained to the public.
Going back further, Mr Zuma said the construction of one of the properties in the homestead had been the subject of the 2005 Schabir Shaik corruption trial. "Today you are saying it is being built by government — it is not fair to Zuma and his family."
Nkandla was an issue only with the media and the opposition, Mr Zuma said. It would not affect the ANC’s prospects in the elections.
He denied talk that he was a liability to the party. "It is only an issue with bright people … clever people," Mr Zuma said.
President Jacob Zuma. Picture: MARTIN RHODES
LESS than two days before the polls open, President Jacob Zuma on Monday broke his months of silence over the Nkandla scandal, volunteering personal information and details of the security analysis.
The speaking out appears to be an attempt to turn the tables on critics of the R246m expenditure on his private Nkandla homestead.
Mr Zuma responded to questions on Nkandla in greater detail than at a previous media briefing. He explained what had led to the security upgrades and revealed that the property had been torched and one of his wives raped before. "There was a court case, people were charged, arrested and convicted," Mr Zuma said.
Security at Nkandla had always been an issue. The whole truth about Nkandla has yet to be told and he had not yet expressed his full views on matter, which he would do at the right time, Mr Zuma said.
The African National Congress (ANC) has consistently dismissed the controversy around the Nkandla upgrades as non-issue for the election.
Analysts described the sudden change in Mr Zuma’s approach to the Nkandla matter as "cynical", particularly his reference to traumatic, personal issues.
Mr Zuma has briefly dealt with Nkandla on his ANC campaign trail, but maintained a belligerent tone towards the "clever people" who criticised him.
ANC insiders downplayed the significance of Monday’s developments, saying Mr Zuma was emboldened by the reaction the party had received from grassroots members on the issue and that it had not caused as much damage as initially expected.
But political analyst Mcebisi Ndletyana said Mr Zuma’s change of strategy revealed the opposite to be the truth. Nkandla was not as harmless as the ANC pretended it was.
Mr Zuma wanted to minimise the importance of the matter by speaking in detail and using the rape of his wife to demonstrate the importance of security, Mr Ndletyana said. "He is using it to suggest that we do not care.
"Nobody is questioning the necessity of providing security for the president. The issue is with the excessiveness of the upgrade to the extent that some things were not security features."
Mr Ndletyana said ANC election volunteers had encountered questions on Nkandla while on the campaign trail.
The public protector’s investigation into Nkandla found that Mr Zuma had unduly benefited from public money spent on his home. He was ordered to repay a portion of it.
Mr Zuma declared he would never abide by the public protector’s recommendations.
Political analyst Steven Friedman said "despite the official line that Nkandla is a middle-class issue, it is clear that people in the ANC are concerned".
Mr Friedman said Mr Zuma had probably been advised to change tactics and appear to be open on the matter. "It does not help much but raises more questions about why he decided to open up now.
"Nobody has suggested that the presidential residence should not be secure. The argument is not that the president should not be safe."
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said Mr Zuma’s move was "a clear and deliberate attempt to present himself as a person and make himself look vulnerable".
"He is killing Nkandla (as an issue) ... (so that) people will sympathise with him."
Mr Zuma said the "original" issue regarding Nkandla had been that he acted dishonestly by building his private home using state funds. But the reports of the public protector and the interministerial task team had proved the allegation wrong.
He could not be "responsible for construction and (be expected) know that so-and-so inflated prices", Mr Zuma said. "I’m running the country, not a construction (company)."
He added that most of the R246m had been invested in government property such as the clinic. This had not been clearly explained to the public.
Going back further, Mr Zuma said the construction of one of the properties in the homestead had been the subject of the 2005 Schabir Shaik corruption trial. "Today you are saying it is being built by government — it is not fair to Zuma and his family."
Nkandla was an issue only with the media and the opposition, Mr Zuma said. It would not affect the ANC’s prospects in the elections.
He denied talk that he was a liability to the party. "It is only an issue with bright people … clever people," Mr Zuma said.
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