The leader of South Africa’s second opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, Julius Malema, on Friday said the EFF has filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court to force President Jacob Zuma to pay back state funds used on his private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu/Natal Province.Malema said this outside Parliament after failing to get a satisfactory answer from the President during Friday’s session when he asked him when he intended to refund the state Nkandla funds as recommended by Public Protector (Ombudsman) Thuli Madonsela in her report which listed $22 million as being overspent to upgrade Zuma’s privately-owned traditional-style estate under the guise of “security upgrades.Malema referred to Madonsela’s report as the only legal report on the Nkandla spending, and not the so-called ad-hoc committee set up by the ruling African National Congress party-dominated parliament which has been working towards exonerating Zuma from refunding the money as he did not personally approve the expenditures to Nkandla.
Responding earlier in Parliament to Malema’s question when he would pay back the money, Zuma had replied: “The matter relating to the security upgrades at Nkandla is being discussed by parliament through the ad-hoc committee on the police minister’s report.
I have also responded to parliament on this matter before. I believe the question is premature as matters have not yet been concluded by this very House. I will respond further to the debate around this matter once all processes have been concluded,� Zuma added.
Displeased with the response, Malema told Parliament: The President is not answering my question. The Nkandla issue has been a big problem for all of us because we all believe you must pay something. The only report which is legitimate and legal is Advocate Thuli Madonsela’s report. You have never given a date and a method you are going to use to pay back the money.
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