NEWS: Public may never see SIU’s report on Nkandla

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) did not have to make its report on security upgrades to President Jacob Zuma’s home public, it said yesterday.

“The SIU and its head are deeply conscious of the intense public interest in its report,” spokesperson Boy Ndala said.



“We also acknowledge we are accountable to the public for the work we do.”

However, the SIU Act did not empower the unit to release the report or make its contents public, he said.

The SIU handed its final report on the R246 million in upgrades to Zuma’s private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal to Zuma on Thursday – a week after the president submitted a response to Speaker Baleka Mbete.

The presidency said Zuma had taken all reports into account.

Three investigations had been made into the upgrades: one by the joint standing committee on intelligence, another by the Public Protector and the final one by the SIU.

Earlier this year, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found Zuma and his family had unduly benefited from the upgrades and she recommended he repay some of the money.

Zuma declined to respond to Madonsela’s report in full within the required fortnight and said he would instead wait for the SIU’s findings.

Public spending on the security upgrades have turned into one of the major controversies of the Zuma presidency, as costs escalated to R246 million. It emerged the project included a pool (dubbed a “firepool” by government), an amphitheatre, a cattle kraal and a chicken run, among others.

The presidency and the ANC’s chief whip, Stone Sizani, said Zuma had responded to Madonsela’s report.

The National Assembly on Tuesday resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to consider Zuma’s response.

Parliament’s question time was suspended, then adjourned, on Thursday when Economic Freedom Fighters members started shouting “pay back the money” to Zuma – and indicated they were not happy with his answer as to when he would pay back some of the money spent on Nkandla, as recommended by Madonsela. – Sapa

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