R3m visitors lounge and more Nkandla overspending revealed at Special Tribunal

The Department of Justice’s Special Tribunal, currently before the Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Kate Pillay, was told yesterday that the budget approved on 27 November 2009 was for R27.8 million. File picture: ANA

The Department of Justice’s Special Tribunal, currently before the Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Kate Pillay, was told yesterday that the budget approved on 27 November 2009 was for R27.8 million. File picture: ANA

Published Sep 30, 2021

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More revelations of overspending on the security upgrades at former President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead emerged at the Special Tribunal hearing for the Special Investigating Unit’s application to recoup R155 million from the project’s architect.

The Department of Justice’s Special Tribunal, currently before the Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Kate Pillay, was told yesterday that the budget approved on 27 November 2009 was for R27.8 million.

The SIU is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to recover the money from the Nkandla security upgrades principal architect, Minenhle Makhanya, following the inflation of the project’s price to R246 million.

The witness testifying before the tribunal yesterday detailed how the security upgrades had been done at the homes of previous presidents and how, in the case of security-related aspects at Zuma’s residence, a lot of incurred expenditure was unauthorised and that Makhanya strayed away from his mandate.

She said that R3 million was paid for the designs of the VIP parking with motorised garage doors and parking for nine vehicles and the design of the fire pool with a capacity to carry 45 000 litres of water, in case of a fire outbreak.

The tribunal heard how 20 additional units for staff at Nkandla were included and approved by Makhanya, with the witness saying that the only authorised work would have been in the form of an open tender and followed by due process, which were lacking in this instance.

She told the tribunal that staff accommodation was not a security requirement by SAPS and Makhanya did not get written approval from the director-general and that the overdesigns were not actioned by any prior written approval from the director-general.

In this respect, the witness told the tribunal a quantity surveyor, who is scheduled to give testimony later, would demonstrate to the Special Tribunal how the variation of the scope of work resulted in the financial loss to the state.

The witness also recounted how the department had paid for every claim that it had received and paid no due diligence to verifying the work done and, that Makhanya was given the benefit of doubt in that he did work without procurement instructions.

Also emerging from the tribunal was that a R3 million visitors lounge was also included in the plan despite not initially identified by the SAPS and the SANDF in the initial assessment report, while in addition there was also a control room which cost R2.5 million, despite also not being in the SAPS and SANDF initial assessment report.

It was also put to the tribunal that the request for the visitors lounge was a private request, with the argument put forward for the lounge being that the masses of people who visited Zuma needed to be closely monitored hence the idea to put the visitors lounge in one building with the control room.

The SIU witness also told the tribunal that the overdesigns of the control room were excessive as they included the R500 000 installation of the alarm system and R250 000 for the replacement of the doors at the entrance and exit points.

The witness said that SAPS officials later told investigators that they had nothing to do with the visitors lounge and that there was no need for a visitors lounge from a security point of view and the expenditure of this expense should instead be recovered from Makhanya.

The witness also told the tribunal the cost of the clinic at the Nkandla homestead was estimated at R8 million and that its design and payment was authorised by Makhanya in his capacity as principal architect. She added that the quantity surveyor would again provide further details on this.

Political Bureau