ON MONDAY on SABC2, in an interview with the minister for public works, he (the minister) made several damning admissions in respect of President Jacob Zuma's residence at Nkandla.
The minister was trying to explain how the enormous amount of money had been spent – in part from the departments of Defence and Public Works.
In addition to these projects, there was also an amount for consultants.
The minister admitted he could not defend the over-spend on the budget for all three segments on the property, but surely somebody in the department must be responsible for signing off the expense?
The security fences (two) are necessary, but the bunkers and the lift (to where?) and probably air conditioning, as well as the generator – could that add up to approximately R100-million?
The cost of upgrading of the furniture and buildings, a necessity we are told because of the number of security personnel and staff, was also way overboard at R70-million.
This issue cannot be solved by ordinary citizens like myself, but only by means of an open debate in parliament where the DA/ COPE and other parties can lambaste the president for this and other fruitless waste of public money, while people are crying out for simple toilets and electricity.
This once again shows how all the conferences and get-togethers the ANC can organise are so far away from the needs of the man-in-the street.
The next election cannot come soon enough to show the government how much support it has lost.
RA HILL, Greenacres, Port Elizabeth
Letters
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