Nkandla housing reports refuted

An aerial view of President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla home.

An aerial view of President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla home.

Published Dec 2, 2013

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Johannebsurg - Articles published in The Star and The Pretoria News on Monday about the future of the houses occupied by President Jacob's Zuma's support staff at Nkandla, in KwaZulu-Natal, are false, the rural development and public works departments said.

“The Ministers of Public Works (Thulas Nxesi) and Rural Development and Land Reform (Gugile Nkwinti) would like to place on record that their offices had never issued a statement in which Nxesi stated that the Nkandla houses occupied by support staff would be sold once President Jacob Zuma's term ended in about five years' time,” they said in a joint statement.

The Star reported that it spoke to Vuyo Bavuma, Nxesi's spokesman.

However, Nxesi denied that Bavuma was his spokesman.

“Media enquiries regarding these two separate ministries should be addressed to their respective media liaison officers whose details are available in the two departments' websites,” they said.

Part of Zuma's multi-million rand homestead is built on state-owned land managed by the Ingonyama Trust Board.

The Star reported that Nkwinti apparently contradicted Nxesi and said houses on Ingonyama Trust Board land could not be sold as the trust only leased land.

Sapa

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