Johannesburg - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has rejected President Jacob Zuma's offer to pay back some of the money spent on supposed security upgrades at his private Nkandla residence.
“Zuma is doing this to buy time. He thinks he can play with us like that,” EFF leader Julius Malema told reporters in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Last year the EFF took the Nkandla matter to the Constitutional Court, which is scheduled to be heard next week.
“We cannot have a situation where Zuma questions the powers of public protector. This is a case to reaffirm the Constitution of (South Africa),” Malema said on Wednesday.
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's 2014 report on Nkandla, titled “Secure in Comfort” said Zuma and his family had unduly benefited from the upgrades. She directed Zuma to cover a reasonable amount of the cost - to be determined by National Treasury with the assistance of the police service - for upgrades that did not relate to security.
Zuma said he was not compelled to honour Mandonsela's directive.
However, on Tuesday it emerged that Zuma was proposing to pay a sum to be determined by the Auditor-General and the minister of finance.
In a statement issued late on Tuesday, Zuma's office said the offer was “a simple course to implement what the Public Protector recommended as remedial action” in her report.
African News Agency and IOL
* More to come