Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma and his family benefited from R240 million spent on upgrading Zuma’s Nkandla homestead, indicating an abuse of power, it was argued before the Constitutional Court heard on Tuesday.
“When one family benefits from such as abuse of resources… it is a breach of the rule of law. There has been an abuse of public money for the benefit of one family… 100 000 people could have lived off that money [R240 million],” Anton Katz, for the Democratic Alliance told the court.
He added that the party did not find any evidence that Public Protector Thuli Madonsela acted incorrectly or outside of her powers when she made recommendations in her 2014 report on Nkandla, titled “Secure in Comfort”.
Zuma has to take the responsibility for attempts by members of the National Assembly to block their constitutional duties, Katz added.
“We want the court to come to the conclusion that there was defiance against the Public Protector. The president and the National Assembly defied the clear duties of the Public Protector.”
Wim Trengove, for the DA, had earlier also argued that Zuma and the National Assembly defied Madonsela by not implementing her recommendations.
The hearing was due to continue after lunch.
African News Agency