Johannesburg - The Nkandla saga refuses to go away despite a court challenge to force President Jacob Zuma to disclose when he will pay back the money.
And now Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is in the firing line in Parliament.
Opposition parties told Zuma in the House last week that Nkandla wouldn’t go away, the heat will be on his defence minister on Wednesday over the spending and completion of some of the facilities.
Mapisa-Nqakula faces questions from the DA, during question time to ministers in the security cluster, over the construction of the clinic at Zuma’s homestead.
The clinic is part of the facilities that cost the state R135.2 million.
The ministers of police and public works recently told Parliament the state didn’t spend R135.2m only on the clinic.
They said that amount was used to build the clinic, police barracks and the helipad.
The ministers also insisted that the clinic would be used by the community after Zuma left office.
But Kobus Marais of the DA wants to know from Mapisa-Nqakula whether the clinic is operational.
He also wants to know why it’s not functioning.
During the recent media visit to Zuma’s house it was revealed by a top SANDF official that the clinic hasn’t been completed; it needs equipment before it can start operating.
Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi told the ad hoc committee on Nkandla two weeks ago in Parliament that he had stopped all projects at Zuma’s home because of the probe.
This was the same explanation given by Lieutenant-General Mondli Zuma - no relation to President Zuma - to the media recently.
Mondli Zuma, head of special projects in the Ministry of Police, said the incomplete work at the president’s house was due to the investigations.
He said even the police control room, which is supposed to be the central point to monitor all movements in the house, had no CCTV cameras.
Mapisa-Nqakula would have to explain to the DA and Parliament in general why the clinic hasn’t been operational.
The Star