Nhleko: Firepool a prestige project positioned by ‘practitioners’

The Nkandla firepool was not an afterthought‚ but was planned for as early as 2009‚ Police Minister Nathi Nhleko told Parliament on Wednesday.

Nhleko and Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi appeared before the Nkandla ad-hoc committee on Wednesday where they were grilled by MPs on further issues around the Nkandla project.

Nhleko said that the need for a firepool was listed in a 2009 Public Works Prestige Project document dated 2009 and a report by Ibhongo Consulting indicating a need for firefighting equipment.

He said the location of the firepool‚ “on the South Western end of the property and at an elevated point” had been determined by “practioners“.

Nhleko said that the water pump and firefighting equipment required for the firepool had‚ however‚ not been acquired as “they could not be procured while the investigation was underway”.

However‚ the Democratic Alliance’s Mmusi Maimane said that the pool was tiled‚ paved and had an entertainment area and wall for privacy and was‚ as such‚ a swimming pool.

The Inkatha Freedom Party’s Narend Singh said that documents indicated that a “reservoir” of water was required for firefighting.

“There is no mention of a pool.”