Mantashe

ANC puts on brave face – Zuma’s Nkandla apology accepted

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By Genevieve Quintal, News24

Johannesburg – The ANC welcomes and appreciates President Jacob Zuma’s apology to the nation on Friday following the Constitutional Court judgment regarding spending at his Nkandla home.

“The president humbled himself and apologised to the nation,” ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe told reporters in Johannesburg. “The president has assured the ANC he will adhere to the judgment and implement all 11 orders.”

Zuma addressed the nation on SABC where he apologised and said he had not “knowingly or deliberately” violated the Constitution. On Thursday, the Constitutional Court ruled that the president should adhere to the remedial actions of the public protector and pay back taxpayers’ funds which were used for non-security upgrades worth millions at his Nkandla home.

It found that Zuma’s failure to comply with Thuli Madonsela’s report was inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid.

Read also: ANC respects #ConCourt ruling on Zuma, binding nature of Public Protector

Madonsela found in her report “Secure in Comfort”, released in March 2014, that Zuma had unduly benefited from some of the upgrades. She recommended that he repay a reasonable portion of the R246m spent on the upgrades and that the ministers involved in the project be reprimanded.

The court further ruled that the National Assembly had violated the Constitution by ignoring the public protector’s report.

Since the ruling, opposition parties have called for Zuma to step down.

Mantashe on Friday said the ANC’s top six officials – the president, deputy president, secretary general, deputy secretary general, treasurer and chairperson – held a meeting after the judgment.

He said the Constitutional Court judgment was testament to the fact that the Constitution remained the anchor of the nation.

Mantashe said the the ANC would hold an extended national working committee meeting on Monday and officials would be meeting with the party’s Parliamentary caucus on Tuesday. – News24

Source: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/zuma-humbled-himself-anc-20160401

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