South Africa’s highest court will decide whether to rule on a case calling for President Jacob Zuma to pay back $15 million of state funds used to renovate one of his private residences.
Two separate cases for misuse of state funds have been brought to the country’s constitutional courtsition parties, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
A crowd of opposition supporters rallied outside the court Tuesday, chanting and holding signs reading “Pay Back the Money.”
A March 2014 investigation by independent watchdog the Public Protector found that Zuma had spent 246 million rand or $15 million, renovating his home in Nkandla, located about 150 miles north of the city of Durban, in 2009 shortly after he was sworn into office. The upgrades include a swimming pool, cattle kraal, chicken run, visitors center and amphitheater.
The Public Protector asked Zuma to pay “a reasonable percentage of the cost” for upgrades not related to security, to be determined by the National Treasury.
However Zuma never repaid, saying the findings were merely recommendations and not legal court orders. He was cleared of wrongdoing by a police inquiry into his house which said the upgrades were made for security.
The saga has compounded public discontent towards Zuma, who also sparked outrage in December when he dismissed the well-respected finance minister Nhlanhla Nene.
The firing came after the National Treasury refused to approve several controversial deals, including between South African Airways and Airbus, and one to fund a one trillion rand ($50 billion) nuclear deal with Russia, and was interpreted as proof of Zuma’s inclination to remove anyone that stands in his way.
Repayment offer rejected
Last week Zuma did an about face and offered to repay some of the amount but opposition parties have pressed forward with their cases.
“Zuma must go down. Zuma must leave the office of the president,” EFF leader Julius Malema said at a press conference last week.
Malema stated that his party would not agree to any payment settlement without reinforcing the powers of the Public Protector.
Zuma, the country’s fourth president, was sworn in for a second term last May.
The house in Nkandla is where Zuma was born and spent most of his life.
Complaints about the renovations date to as early as 2009, the Public Protector’s report shows, when the funds in question totaled 65 million rand ($4 million), but the upgrades carried on until it ballooned to 246 million rand ($15 million).
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