THE Presidency’s decision to allow MPs and media representatives access to Nkandla was a wily move that has so far succeeded in deflecting public attention in a direction that better suits President Jacob Zuma’s agenda, even if it paints a less than flattering picture of the governing party he leads.
By showing SA that although clearly intended for recreational use the Nkandla "fire pool" is no bigger or fancier than might be found in a middle-class suburb, for instance, or that the rondavels built at great expense with taxpayers’ money to house police VIP bodyguards are really quite modest, the message that has been conveyed is that even if fraud was committed, this was no attempt on Mr Zuma’s part to live an ostentatious lifestyle at taxpayers’ expense.
The trouble with this approach is that, like the little Dutch boy who used his finger to plug a hole in the dyke, when the waters are rising, such efforts merely delay the inevitable. And each new hole that is plugged increases the pressure and creates new leaks. Eventually that boy ran out of fingers.
The Presidency has essentially now conceded that the Nkandla "security upgrade" was massively corrupt, with the Department of Public Works having unquestioningly overpaid by a factor of four or more for work that was clearly of such inferior quality that many of the "improvements" are already falling apart.
What it has not — and will not — concede is that Mr Zuma is in any way responsible for this debacle.
That the Nkandla "fact-finding" tours were carefully managed to protect the president is hardly surprising — that has been a recurring theme of both Zuma administrations. What is surprising is that the governing party is still prepared to go along with it, despite clear evidence that the relentless succession of corruption scandals is starting to take its toll politically.
Of individual accountability there is no mention; the official line remains that Mr Zuma knew nothing about what was going on at his home and is therefore not responsible for the excesses, despite all evidence and logic to the contrary. A scapegoat will surely be found, but you can be sure it will not be those who were intended to benefit from the Nkandla scam.
Emergency services staff demonstrate how to fight fire from the ‘fire pool’ at Nkandla. Picture: DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
THE Presidency’s decision to allow MPs and media representatives access to Nkandla was a wily move that has so far succeeded in deflecting public attention in a direction that better suits President Jacob Zuma’s agenda, even if it paints a less than flattering picture of the governing party he leads.
By showing SA that although clearly intended for recreational use the Nkandla "fire pool" is no bigger or fancier than might be found in a middle-class suburb, for instance, or that the rondavels built at great expense with taxpayers’ money to house police VIP bodyguards are really quite modest, the message that has been conveyed is that even if fraud was committed, this was no attempt on Mr Zuma’s part to live an ostentatious lifestyle at taxpayers’ expense.
The trouble with this approach is that, like the little Dutch boy who used his finger to plug a hole in the dyke, when the waters are rising, such efforts merely delay the inevitable. And each new hole that is plugged increases the pressure and creates new leaks. Eventually that boy ran out of fingers.
The Presidency has essentially now conceded that the Nkandla "security upgrade" was massively corrupt, with the Department of Public Works having unquestioningly overpaid by a factor of four or more for work that was clearly of such inferior quality that many of the "improvements" are already falling apart.
What it has not — and will not — concede is that Mr Zuma is in any way responsible for this debacle.
That the Nkandla "fact-finding" tours were carefully managed to protect the president is hardly surprising — that has been a recurring theme of both Zuma administrations. What is surprising is that the governing party is still prepared to go along with it, despite clear evidence that the relentless succession of corruption scandals is starting to take its toll politically.
Of individual accountability there is no mention; the official line remains that Mr Zuma knew nothing about what was going on at his home and is therefore not responsible for the excesses, despite all evidence and logic to the contrary. A scapegoat will surely be found, but you can be sure it will not be those who were intended to benefit from the Nkandla scam.
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