Zuma brushes aside threat to disrupt his parliamentary address

South African President Jacob Zuma on Sunday brushed aside threats to disrupt him when he delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament next week.

All members of Parliament should act honorably, Zuma said at a meeting with a group of editors at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have threatened to disrupt Zuma when he delivers the SONA on February 12 if he fails to answer questions on how to pay back the money laverished on security upgrades at his private home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal Province.

When asked whether he was nervous about the threat, Zuma said, "I have never been nervous in my life .. Never."

Zuma described calls for him to repay the money spent on the Nkandla project as "a political ploy".

He said he did not feel guilty of abusing public funds spent on the project which allegedly cost 246 million rand (about 22 million U.S. dollars).

"Why should it be an issue? Why should I pay back the money? When the very institutions that investigate say that some other institutions must have the last word on the matter," Zuma said.

He said he saw no reason for paying back the money as there hasn't been conclusion from the investigations.

Zuma said he is still awaiting the conclusion of the Parliamentary investigation.

Earlier, the president blamed certain government officials for going ahead with the project without his permission.

He reiterated on Sunday that he had nothing to do with the upgrades at his Nkandla home, which meant he owed no money.

Zuma was heckled by EFF MPs in August last year during a Q&A parliamentary session. Endi