Zuma Sends Letters Reprimanding Ministers Over Nkandla

PRETORIA – The office of President Jacob Zuma said on Friday that letters of reprimand had been sent to one cabinet minister and two former ministers, following the Constitutional Court ruling over the contested security upgrades at Nkandla.

The presidency said that the court on 31 March ordered Zuma to comply with the remedial action taken against him by the Public Protector Thuli Madonsela in her report of 19 March 2014. According to news reports, she had called for ministers to be reprimanded for the manner in which state funds were used on Nkandla and how the project was handled.

Those who received letters were Minister of Public Works, Mr Thulas Nxesi; former Minister of Police, Mr Nathi Mthethwa; and former Minister of Public Works and High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa to Sri Lanka, Mr Geof Doidge.

Deputy minister of public works Jeremy Cronin defended Nxesi earlier this week, saying that he had been appointed after the tender process for Nkandla was over, news reports said.

“But the president might still decide to reprimand all of us sitting at this table. That’s his prerogative,” Cronin was quoted saying.