CW board calls for Nkandla accountability from country’s leaders

The Corruption Watch Board calls on the President and Cabinet to assume collective responsibility for the misuse of public funds in the upgrade of President Jacob Zuma’s private home in Nkandla.

The Board has welcomed the report by Public Protector, Thuli Mandonsela, which was released on 19 March 2014 with the title Secure in Comfort, and joins the loud public outcry over the overt abuse of power and misuse of public resources confirmed in the report.

Speaking on behalf of the Board, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane said that President Zuma and Cabinet would be amiss to treat the report with indifference: “Those tasked with the moral function of coordinating public resources must admit in this instance that they have failed to act in the public interest. They should not deceive themselves and think they can wash their hands of this issue.”

He added that the misuse of public funds and flouting of procurement process as documented in the Public Protector’s report were repugnant, and even more so when set against the reality of poverty lived by many in Nkandla and elsewhere in the country.

The Board reaffirms its support for the Office of the Public Protector, and other institutions such as the Office of the Auditor-General, that strengthen South Africa’s constitutional democracy and promote accountability in the administration of public resources.

For more information:

Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, chairperson of the Corruption Watch board – 082 894 1523