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S. African president refuses to repay state for home upgrade

Xinhua, March 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

South African President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday that he will never pay back the money spent on security upgrade of his private home unless there is "a determination by concerned authorities".

"Never have I ever thought on the date when I will pay back the money," Zuma told MPs during a Q&A session, the first time since Parliament was interrupted last year.

The security upgrade for Zuma's private home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal province allegedly cost 246 million rand (about 20.2 million U.S. dollars) of taxpayers' money.

The opposition demanded him to pay back some of the money spend on his home.

In March last year, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said in a report that Zuma's family unduly benefited from the Nkandla project and recommended that Zuma pay back part of the money on the project.

During the Q&A session, Zuma denied that the Public Protector has asked him to pay back the money, adding the issue should only be determined by concerned authorities. Endi