Johannesburg - A report detailing the costs for President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla home, in KwaZulu-Natal, has revealed nothing new, Cosatu said on Monday.
“In relation to... the Nkandla saga, there is nothing new that has come up, in our view, from that particular report,” Gauteng Congress of SA Trade Unions secretary Dumisani Dakile told reporters in Johannesburg.
“In fact, some of these issues are ones we have been raising for some time - the fact that government has no capacity to do anything. Everything is outsourced.”
On Sunday, Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi said the government spent R206 million on security upgrades and consultants for the home.
Included in this amount was R135 million for the “operational needs” of various government departments, and R71 million for consultants and security features such as bullet proof windows, security fencing, evacuation mechanisms and firefighting equipment, he told reporters in Pretoria.
Also included in the total was R26 million to make changes to the project (variation orders).
State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele said neither Zuma nor his family had any input on the security upgrade.
“They were not involved with the design and installation of security measures.”
Nxesi said Zuma was informed of the security upgrades, but did not know any of the details.
Dakile said it was “not surprising” that corrupt officials benefited unfairly by outsourcing work on the home.
“People in government must choose whether they want to serve the people, or they want to be in business,” he said.
“We know for a fact that there are people who are charging the state R200 for a loaf of bread.”
He said the national office of Cosatu was studying the report and would release a detailed statement on it at a later stage. - Sapa