Johannesburg – The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) said on Tuesday that it “welcomes the decision” by President Jacob Zuma to pay R7.8 million to Treasury as directed by the Constitutional Court for non-security upgrades at his Nkandla homestead.
On Monday, the Presidency said Zuma had paid R7 814 155.00 to the South African Reserve Bank as ordered by the Constitutional Court of South Africa in respect of his private homestead. The Presidency said Zuma financed the repayment through a bank loan.
In a statement the ANCWL said it “welcomed” that the ANC president had complied with the Constitutional Court order.
“Furthermore the ANCWL applauds the decision of the president to use wholly black-owned specialist corporate finance and retail bank which is registered with and regulated by the SARB, under banking license number 1051, governed by the Mutual Bank’s Act, 1993 in acquiring money to pay for the Nkandla non-security features,” said the ANCWL.
Explaining how Zuma raised the money, the Presidency said: “The President raised the amount through a home loan obtained from VBS Mutual Bank on its standard terms, one of the few financial institutions which offer home loans in respect of land owned by traditional authorities.”
Zuma’s homestead was built on land owned by the Ingonyama Trust.
Opposition parties have demanded details of the loan and proof that indeed the money has been paid over to the Reserve Bank.
“Whilst detractors claim to be the paragon of respect to the Constitution they have no political program except attacking President Zuma and will still be clinching on Nkandla matter,” said the ANCWL.
“It is our conviction as the ANCWL that the matter has been laid to rest. We call on our members and supporters to continue working towards making the ANC a more effective instrument for the liberation of our people and unreservedly defend the unity and integrity of the organisation.”
In the statement issued by Secretary General Meokgo Matuba, the ANCWL also called on party leader Zuma and the rest of the leadership to continue to implement conference resolutions on land, economic transformation, free education and the State Bank.
“By the end of his ANC term in 2017 and government term in 2019 he should have radically addressed the issue of land ownership, economic transformation, free education and established a State Bank,” said the ANCWL.
“It is high time that the economic freedom is achieved and the landless Africans gets their land back which was stolen as far back as 1652. Landlessness and economic exclusion severely affects women of our country, in particular women of African origin.”
African News Agency