Cape Town - The Freedom Front Plus on Wednesday lent support to possible impeachment proceedings against President Jacob Zuma.
Responding to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's finding that Zuma had unduly benefited from upgrades to his Nkandla private residence, FF Plus MP Pieter Groenewald said Zuma should repay taxpayers' money used for the upgrades.
“It should also be considered to impeach Zuma where he, together with the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, should account to Parliament how it is possible that an initial R27 million for security could eventually amount to R247 million,” Groenewald said.
The opposition party compared the Nkandla matter to the Waterkloof air base scandal where friends of the president used his name to illegally land an airplane at the base.
“Here it was once again proven that the personal friends of Zuma, in this instance the architect Minenhle Makhanya, had abused Zuma's name to secure transactions and to intimidate officials,” Groenewald said.
Madonsela found that Makhanya had made R16.5 million from the Nkandla project.
Madonsela said in her report into the matter that Makhanya served as a go-between for government officials and the president.
“What is particularly disturbing in this regard, is that minutes show that Makhanya was often asked to design something more economic and he would come back with something more expensive and even luxurious.”
Madonsela said Makhanya was brought in in 2009 without going to tender.
Makhanya was brought in to act as the department of public works' principal agent, while retaining his position as Zuma's private architect.
“This is the period when the scale of work increased exponentially, leading to installations that were not authorised and costs escalated to R215m,” Madonsela said.
Sapa