Zuma has 72 hours to answer for Nkandla
Today my colleagues and I visited President Jacob Zuma's compound at Nkandla to see what a R250 million renovation with public money looks like.
We felt it was important for us to see the compound for ourselves before we embark on court action against the President for this blatant abuse of power. This is state-sponsored corruption on an unprecedented scale. We cannot let him get away with it.
On the 16th of October we wrote to the President, and to various government ministers, asking for the truth about Nkandla. We asked them for details on how much was spent, on what, by whom, and under what provision of law.
We got no response other than to acknowledge receipt of our letters. Today we are giving President Zuma and his government a further 72 hours to respond. If there is no substantive response by close of business on Wednesday 7 November, we will instruct our lawyers to make preparations to take him and the government to court over what is now known as ‘Nkandlagate'.
The news of our visit was met with open threats of violence from the ANC and the SACP. No ANC leaders repudiated or condemned these threats. In fact, they were amplified with inflammatory and race-loaded rhetoric by senior ANC leaders. We will not be intimidated from exercising our constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight and focus public attention on the facts. And we will not allow the ANC to declare certain areas ‘no-go zones' in our country.