DA leader Mmusi Maimane used his visit to rural Nquthu, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, to lash out at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), accusing it of stalling on a decision over President Jacob Zuma’s private residence in Nkandla.
Maimane said the money used to build Zuma’s residence had been stolen from South Africans, and that was why the DA had laid a charge with the police.
He said that despite the police completing an investigation about two years ago, the NPA had not made a decision on whether to prosecute and had claimed that further investigation was needed.
“The NPA doesn’t need any more investigation. Two years down the line, all they need to do is make a decision and get on with the work of holding the president to account. Because the president must live by the same rules that we all do,” Maimane said.
He accused the NPA of stalling to protect Zuma.
NPA spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said Maimane’s statements were not without merit.
He said that after the initial investigation, the head of the Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit had reviewed the case, and felt that the probe was incomplete and more investigating was needed.
“The discretion of whether or not to prosecute is a very powerful one that cannot be used recklessly. We have to be meticulous in our approach, and we can only prosecute where we feel there are prospects of succeeding.”
He said the NPA had already written to the DA's lawyers explaining this.