Johannesburg - Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi, who has been characterised as a stooge after his uncritical defence of President Jacob Zuma in the Nkandla scandal, has portrayed himself as someone who respects the rule of law.
He has been ridiculed and made fun of on social media after Zuma admitted through his lawyer, Jeremy Gauntlett SC, at the Constitutional Court recently that the Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s findings in the Nkandla matter were binding.
Read: #Nkandla case: Zuma accepts report binding
Cartoonists have also portrayed Nxesi as among the defenders Zuma had thrown under the bus after the president agreed to pay back a portion of the money spent on Nkandla, as per Madonsela’s recommendations.
On Saturday, Nxesi, together with other government ministers, attended the Youth Development and Career Expo at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Campus.
When The Star asked if he regretted that he had played a part in the cover-ups in the Nkandla scandal, Nxesi said: “What do you want me to say? You already know my answer.”
Read: #Nkandla case: ‘One family benefited from R240m’
Pressed further for comment, he relented: “As you are aware, the matter is reserved for judgment at the Constitutional Court. If I’m to comment, I would not be respecting the rule of law as a government minister.”
Nxesi, who made headlines when he said he did not understand why South Africans moaned about a “few million” spent on Nkandla, said he would wait for the Concourt process to run its course before opening up about his role in the scandal.
“It’s only then that I will be able to comment. Write that,” he said, in a commanding tone.
@iam_toh
Before #Nenegate and #Nkandla flip-flop 2 out of 3 citizens distrusted JZ; his trust ratings must by now be considerably worse.
— Paul Hoffman (@PaulHoffmanSC) February 22, 2016
@PositivelyNot I am waiting for news from the Architect that they tried to pin #nkandla on. Now that #zuma has to pay, will he sue?
— Rumblo (@Rumblestripss) February 22, 2016
The Star