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Zuma respects court ruling on Nkandla case: gov't

Xinhua, April 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

President Jacob Zuma respects the judgement handed down by the Constitutional Court and its findings relating to the Public Protector's report on the Nkandla matter, the government said on Thursday.

"The President appreciates and reaffirms the powers of the Constitutional Court as a final arbiter on matters of the Constitution in the Republic of South Africa," it said in a statement.

The Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that Zuma and Parliament flouted the Constitution by ignoring the public protector's findings into the Nkandla case.

The court also found that Zuma must repay for the upgrades at his private home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal Province.

Parliament must determine the reasonable costs that Zuma must pay for the upgrades, the court ruled.

Judge Mogoeng Mogoeng said the Treasury must report back to the court within 60 days of this order.

Remedial action taken by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela against Zuma in terms of Constitution is binding, Mogoeng said.

The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) brought the application to the court last month, demanding a judgment ordering Zuma to follow Mandonsela's remedial recommendations.

Mandonsela released the "Secure in Comfort" report in March 2014 into the final findings into the scandal, in which Zuma was accused of abusing public funding worth 246 million rand (about 16 million US dollars) in security upgrades at his Nkandla home.

Madonsela claims that Zuma's family unduly benefited from the project and asks Zuma to pay part of the money on the project, a demand rejected by Zuma then.

Parliament then also dismissed Mandonsela's recommendations that Zuma repay a portion of the money spent on Nkandla.

"The resolution by the National Assembly absolving the president from compliance with the Public Protector's remedial action is inconsistent with the Constitution, is invalid, and set aside," Mogoeng said in the ruling.

"The president failed to uphold, defend, and respect the Constitution," the judge said.

Earlier this year, Zuma offered to pay a certain amount of money. But he said the determination of the amount should be independently and impartially determined so as to achieve an end to the dispute in a manner that meets the Public Protector's recommendations and is beyond political reproach.

In its Thursday statement, the government said Zuma will reflect on the judgement and its implications on the state and government, and will in consultation with other impacted institutions of state to determine the appropriate action. Enditem