S. African Treasury: President to Pay Back $500K of Public Funds!
Local Editor
South African President Jacob Zuma should pay back $500,000 of public funds spent upgrading his private residence with facilities including a chicken coop and a swimming pool, the treasury said Monday.
In March, the country's highest court found that the president violated the constitution by defying an order to repay some of the money in one of several scandals that dominated his presidency.
Relatively, the Constitutional Court asked the national treasury to determine the value of the non-security upgrades installed at Nkandla, Zuma's traditional homestead in the rural eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal.
The work included a swimming pool, which was claimed to be a fire-fighting facility, a chicken run, a cattle enclosure, an amphitheater and a visitors' center.
Besides, the treasury added in a statement that Zuma, head of the ruling African National Congress [ANC] party, should pay back 7,814,155 rand [$509,000.]
For its part, the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, said the sum was too low but was still a damning indictment of the president.
"The president should pay back 100 percent of the non-security upgrades -- previously we determined that amount to be up to 52.9 million rand [$3.4 million]," DA spokesman Mabine Seabe told AFP.
"This sends out a clear message to those involved in corruption, especially those in the ANC, that you will be held accountable for your actions, even if you are the president."
However, the presidency made no immediate comment on the treasury's calculation, which will now be reviewed by the Constitutional Court.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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