President Zuma must end his silence on ‘Nkandlagate' report 

Reports today that a tuck shop was built by the Department of Public Works at Nkandla for the use of President Zuma's wife, MaKhumalo Zuma, makes it clear that the task team report into the scandal was nothing more than a white-wash, with only one major pre-determined objective: to clear President Zuma of any wrong doing (see City Press report).

Yet despite these on-going revelations, and the mounting evidence that this ‘secret' report has been misleading in its desperate attempt to convince South Africans that spending R206 million on one man is ok, President Zuma remains silent as if there is no crisis. The President cannot wish this away, nor can he afford to say nothing, when he is so severely compromised by this scandal. 

I therefore reiterate my call to President Zuma. He must end his silence and come clean on all the details of this abuse of public money. The first step towards doing this will be to intervene immediately to ensure that the Minister of Public Works, Thulas Nxesi, tables the report in parliament for full scrutiny and debate.

Anything less will render him complicit in this botched attempt at a cover-up.

Statement issued by Lindiwe Mazibuko MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, February 3 2012

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