The Special Investigating Unit's final report on the Nkandla controversy has placed the blame for the soaring cost of upgrades to President Jacob Zuma private home on his architect Minenhle Makhanya.
It concluded that the best way of recovering the state funds misspent on the project was to claim it from him, in contrast with the public protector's finding that Zuma was liable to pay a portion of the cost.
"Makhanya inter alia increased the scope and extent of the works by designing and authorising items that were not required for security purposes," the SIU said in the report, tabled in Parliament on Friday.
As a result of this, it added, the cost of the project "soared from an initial estimate of some R27 million to some R216 million".
The unit said it faced a choice of claiming the damages and losses suffered by the department of public works from an array of people who were enriched, or seek to recover the full amount from Makhanya himself.
"We chose the latter option," it said.