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JOHANNESBURG. – The Constitutional Court will on Friday deliver judgment on whether the National Assembly has held President Jacob Zuma accountable on the drawn-out Nkandla debacle.
The matter was heard by a full bench in September after three opposition parties – the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Congress of the People (Cope) and the United Democratic Movement (UDM) – argued that Speaker Baleka Mbete should have done more and have Zuma impeached in Parliament for the misuse of public funds at his Nkandla homestead and for his failure to implement former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s remedial actions.
The parties sought an order declaring that Mbete failed to put in place all appropriate mechanisms to hold Zuma accountable. They also sought an order compelling Mbete to establish a committee, or any independent body, to investigate Zuma’s conduct and determine whether he is guilty of any offence.
Mbete opposed the application. In March last year, the Constitutional Court delivered a damning ruling in which it stated that Zuma had failed to “uphold, defend and respect the Constitution” when he did not adhere to the remedial actions called for by Madonsela.
Madonsela issued a report three years ago in which she stated that the millions that went into upgrading Zuma’s Nkandla homestead had not all been rightfully used. Madonsela found that Zuma had derived undue benefit from the security upgrades at his home that spiralled to a cost of more than R200 million and eventually included a swimming pool, cattle kraal and amphitheatre, all added to Zuma’s home at taxpayer’s cost. – African News Agency/ANA
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