South Africa's Zuma makes TV apology

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG

South African President Jacob Zuma has apologized to the nation for his handling of a row over public money spent on upgrading his private residence.

“The matter has caused a lot of frustration and confusion, for which I apologize on my behalf and on behalf of the government,’’ he said in a televised address late on Friday.

Zuma said he will abide by the country’s Constitutional Court which ordered him on Thursday to repay back some of the money.

“I respect the judgment and will abide by it. I have consistently stated that I would pay an amount towards the Nkandla non-security upgrades once this had been determined by the correct authority,” he said.

The court ruled that Zuma had violated the country’s constitution by refusing to comply with an order from an anti-corruption watchdog which had instructed the president to pay back a portion of the money.

“There was no deliberate effort or intention to subvert the constitution on my part,” Zuma said, adding that any action found not to be in keeping with the constitution happened because of a different approach and different legal advice.

In a 2014 report, the watchdog accused Zuma of misusing public money for upgrading his country home in Nkandla village, KwaZulu Natal Province.

Security upgrades on Zuma’s home were supposed to have cost the state $2.5 million but other additions – such as a cattle enclosure, an amphitheater and a swimming pool – saw the cost skyrocket to some $23 million.

The watchdog ordered the president to repay money used for non-security upgrades on the property but Zuma was adamant that he had done nothing wrong.

“We welcome and appreciate the president’s apology to the nation,” ruling African National Congress (ANC) Secretary General Gwede Mantashe told reporters late on Friday during a briefing in Johannesburg.

He said the ANC would not succumb to pressure from opposition parties to remove Zuma, because he has assured them he would respect the judgment of the Constitutional Court.

There have been growing calls across from the opposition and civil society groups to have Zuma removed from office.