No Zuma scolding for Nhleko

Police Minister Nathi Nhleko. File picture: Ntswe Mokoena

Police Minister Nathi Nhleko. File picture: Ntswe Mokoena

Published Apr 23, 2016

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Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma has omitted Police Minister Nathi Nhleko’s name from the list of ministers to whom he has sent letters of reprimand for the manner in which they handled the Nkandla saga.

Zuma provided an update on Friday on his response to the remedial action recommended by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela in her “Secure in Comfort” report on the R246 million spent on security and other improvements to his Nkandla homestead.

This follows the Constitutional Court's ruling that Madonsela’s remedial actions are binding - almost two years after she directed Zuma to act against the ministers.

The president said letters of reprimand had been sent to the ministers involved.

They include Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi, former police minister Nathi Mthethwa and former public works minister Geoff Doidge.

But it was the absence of Nhleko’s name from the list of those reprimanded, and the lack of detail on the contents of the letters, that raised eyebrows.

EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said Zuma’s letters to the ministers were “meaningless and consistent with his meaningless” commissions of inquiries.

“People can offend, and break the constitution in this country and they continue to keep their jobs. Not a single minister was fired for Marikana, the landing of the Gupta plane at Waterkloof and now Nkandla.”

The DA said Zuma should make public the contents of the letters he had sent, so South Africans could determine whether they constituted a genuine and appropriate reprimand.

“We are astounded that the Minister of Police, Nathi Nhleko, who drafted a whitewash report that undermined the public protector, is not included in the list,” said the DA.

“We'll be seeking an urgent explanation from the president.”

In her report, Madonsela directed the president to reprimand the ministers for the “appalling manner” in which the project had been handled and state funds abused.

“The idea is for the president to raise awareness among ministers regarding what is right and wrong in the handling of state power and resources, and what to do when being made aware of an unfolding irregularity.”

This would ensure they would not allow the improper handling of public power and resources.

Madonsela highlighted maladministration, improper behaviour, ethical violations and procedural failings by several ministers and their departments.

Last year, Nxesi and Nhleko appeared before an ad hoc committee on Nkandla that exonerated Zuma.

Zuma said on Friday he would pay a reasonable percentage of the cost of the measures once the Treasury has made a determination.

He said an interdepartmental committee had been established to update the 2003 Cabinet Policy. The committee would draft clear standards on the security measures that could be implemented, the reasonable cost of these to the state and the criteria by which serving and former presidents and deputy presidents would qualify for these.

Saturday Star

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