EFF leader Julius Malema has called on parliament to recommend that President Jacob Zuma be charged with corruption.
The charge would relate to the R246-million security upgrades at Zuma’s private KwaZulu-Natal rural homestead.
Malema made the plea last night at a meeting of the ad hoc committee set up by parliament to consider Zuma’s reply to the public protector’s report on Nkandla.
The committee started its formal consideration of Zuma’s reply yesterday with a meeting that ran into the late hours of last night.
The EFF leader argued it would be travesty of justice if the president was not charged with corruption along with government officials for flouting procurement laws during the Nkandla security upgrades.
But ANC MPs and Zuma’s office rejected Malema’s call as ill-informed.
The Public Works Department, which carried out the Nkandla upgrades, has internally charged 13 officials with maladministration while it is still mulling criminal charges.
The Special Investigating Unit is also instituting a civil claim against Minenhle Makhanya – introduced by Zuma to the Public Works Department as his private architect on Nkandla – seeking to recover R155-million from him in relation to the inflated costs of the security upgrades.
But Malema said it was not adequate to only punish government officials for the scandal. He claimed Zuma had clearly colluded with Makhanya.
“What is an introduction – introduction for what? Because MaKhumalo can do that.
“Why does it take such a powerful politician with a busy schedule to set up a meeting with some officials of public works to introduce an individual,” said Malema.
But ANC MPs immediately rejected any call for Zuma to be prosecuted or summoned to appear before the committee to explain his role in the Nkandla scandal. They insisted only government officials should be charged.
“Malema screams that the president should be criminally charged, but does not state on what basis,” said a statement from the office of ANC chief whip Stone Sizani.
Mac Maharaj, Zuma’s spokesman, also dismissed Malema’s call for Zuma to be arrested as baseless.
“The leader of the EFF has no reputation for making sober remarks,” said Maharaj.
Malema: prosecute JZ for Nkandla
The charge would relate to the R246-million security upgrades at Zuma’s private KwaZulu-Natal rural homestead.
Malema made the plea last night at a meeting of the ad hoc committee set up by parliament to consider Zuma’s reply to the public protector’s report on Nkandla.
The committee started its formal consideration of Zuma’s reply yesterday with a meeting that ran into the late hours of last night.
The EFF leader argued it would be travesty of justice if the president was not charged with corruption along with government officials for flouting procurement laws during the Nkandla security upgrades.
But ANC MPs and Zuma’s office rejected Malema’s call as ill-informed.
The Public Works Department, which carried out the Nkandla upgrades, has internally charged 13 officials with maladministration while it is still mulling criminal charges.
The Special Investigating Unit is also instituting a civil claim against Minenhle Makhanya – introduced by Zuma to the Public Works Department as his private architect on Nkandla – seeking to recover R155-million from him in relation to the inflated costs of the security upgrades.
But Malema said it was not adequate to only punish government officials for the scandal. He claimed Zuma had clearly colluded with Makhanya.
“What is an introduction – introduction for what? Because MaKhumalo can do that.
“Why does it take such a powerful politician with a busy schedule to set up a meeting with some officials of public works to introduce an individual,” said Malema.
But ANC MPs immediately rejected any call for Zuma to be prosecuted or summoned to appear before the committee to explain his role in the Nkandla scandal. They insisted only government officials should be charged.
“Malema screams that the president should be criminally charged, but does not state on what basis,” said a statement from the office of ANC chief whip Stone Sizani.
Mac Maharaj, Zuma’s spokesman, also dismissed Malema’s call for Zuma to be arrested as baseless.
“The leader of the EFF has no reputation for making sober remarks,” said Maharaj.
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