If you’ve been approached to help President Jacob Zuma pay back the money, don’t fall for it, it’s a scam.
A day after National Treasury said Zuma should reimburse R7.8 million to the state for non-security upgrades to his larney homestead, the Presidency has warned of fraudsters calling for donations on social media.
The spokesman for Zuma’s office Dr Bongani Ngqulunga says they have not asked the public to make any donations to help pay for the swimming pool, amphitheatre, cattle kraal, chicken run and visitors centre at Nkandla.
“The Presidency wishes to alert members of the public to beware of scams on social media where people are asked to deposit money into bank accounts in support of President Jacob Zuma,” Dr Ngqulunga said.
And no bank account has been set up for mense to help Zuma pay his debt to society.
But in Zuma’s home province it’s a different matter, with the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal encouraging supporters to donate generously.
KZN ANC spokesperson Mdumiseni Ntuli said yesterday: “We are not opposed to anyone who is making a voluntary contribution to help the President of the ANC deal with the debt of security upgrades at his home.”
But mens e shouldn’t expect anything in return from the ANC or the President, as this would be a “charitable donation and not a bribe.”
Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane has slammed the move, saying Zuma had been instructed to “personally” make the payment and that no one should help him.
“The South African people were defrauded by President Zuma, and it is now time he pays back all the money used to upgrade his personal mansion, and pays it back personally out of his own back pocket,” Maimane says.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, speaking at a rally in Dithakong in the Northern Cape, also told people not to help Zuma.
The amount of R7.8 million still has to be accepted as “reasonable” by Constitutional Court judges.
As soon as this happens, Zuma will have 45 days to make the payment.