Cape Town – In his maiden speech in Parliament, Mmusi Maimane on Wednesday challenged President Jacob Zuma on the Nkandla controversy, saying South Africans could not trust him until he told the truth about state spending at his private home.
The new Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader said Zuma failed to mention corruption in his State of the Nation address on Tuesday night, though South Africans knew that it started at the top and were used to scandals surrounding the president.
“Until the Honourable President fully explains himself on the undue benefit from state funds, to his personal private property, amounting to millions of rands, South Africa cannot trust in his word,” Maimane said during the debate on Zuma’s address.
“The public protector has spoken. The president has not. The people of this nation have absolutely no explanation from their president on damning allegations against him.”
He said it was imperative that Parliament re-established an ad hoc committee to consider Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s findings that Zuma derived improper benefit from the R246 million public upgrade at his home in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
Zuma declined to respond comprehensively to Madonsela’s findings in April, saying he would wait for the outcome of a separate probe by the Special Investigating Unit. On June 4, he indicated that he would submit a response to Parliament within 30 working days…
South Africa Today – South Africa News
