Johannesburg - A petition calling for the impeachment of President Jacob Zuma began circulating on social networking site Twitter on Friday.
“The leaked public protector report on Nkandla proves that president Zuma lied to Parliament and personally benefited from over R200 million of public money (without proper tender),” the petition reads.
“Further, he personally intervened, unlawfully, by appointing his own architect over those already employed by the department of public works.”
The petition, by a group calling themselves the committee for the impeachment of the president, want Zuma and everyone involved in the multi-million rand upgrade to his Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal to be prosecuted.
If this did not happen it called on people to demonstrate outside Parliament on February 13 next year.
Impeachment is the process by which an official is accused of improper conduct and can result in his/her removal from office and criminal charges.
By 2pm on Friday the petition had reached 250 signatures. Activist Zackie Achmat was one of the people who signed it.
This came after the Mail & Guardian on Friday reported that Zuma received substantial personal benefits from the upgrades. Government has stated the upgrades were essential for Zuma's security, but Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found a swimming pool, visitors' centre, amphitheatre, cattle kraal, marquee area, extensive paving, and new houses for relatives included at “enormous cost” to the taxpayer.
Madonsela's report recommends the president be called to account by Parliament for violating the executive ethics code on two counts. These were for failing to protect state resources, and misleading Parliament for suggesting he and his family had paid for all non-security-related features.
She recommended that he must repay a “reasonable” amount of the money spent to the state, the Mail & Guardian said.
The amount he was required to pay was whittled down from R18.6m to about R3m, according to documents the newspaper obtained.
Twitter users on Friday expressed their dismay at the Mail & Guardian report while others made sarcastic comments about the Zuma homestead.
“How can we be expected to believe anything the President says? He must be called to task #Nkandla #nkandlagate,” one Twitter user wrote.
“If the #ANC want my vote next year then hold #Zuma accountable now and prove you the party of old. #Nkandla#2014elections #nothappening,” said another.
A Telkom parody profile tweeted: “Hm, just learnt that you can also pay your etolls by depositing money into this account: JZ NKANDLA TRUST, STD BANK, Acc No. #000001.”
Another said: “Everyone should go to #Nkandla on 27 April - 1
May and have a commemorative jol there. Amandla awethu.”
“Where do we get the number for Zuma's anti-corrpution hotline? Need to report him #Nkandla #nkandlagate,” said another.
Sapa