(News24) – Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has hit back at politicians who have attacked her office and her report on the upgrades to President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home, saying she wondered what former president Nelson Mandela would think of the comments.
“In its 20 years of existence… this office has never received such vitriolic attacks,” she said. “What is encouraging though is [that] not once have any of the attacks suggested that Secure in Comfort [the name of her Nkandla report] deviated from … the Ethics Act.
“As the attacks are released by all and sundry … without reference to specific offensive extracts from the report … I would have wondered what would president [Nelson] Mandela make of these events.”
Madonsela was addressing the National Assembly Speaker and MPs through the media at the briefing, as she was not invited to address Parliament on her Nkandla report. “I am deeply saddened that I have to use the media as a platform to address you,” she said.
“I’m further convinced, honourable Speaker, that this mechanism of engagement was not envisaged by the architects of our Constitution. I chose this platform to advise you on Constitutional requirements of the Public Protector … and respond to utterances my office views as misinformation about my report.”
Her report found that Zuma had to pay back a portion of the money used for non-security upgrades to his homestead as he unduly benefited from them.
