South Africa’s president said Monday that criminals broke into his rural homestead more than a decade ago and raped his wife, as he sought to explain a $23 million taxpayer-funded security upgrade ahead of elections.
Jacob Zuma said the culprits were “arrested, charged, convicted,” recounting a previously unpublicised event at his Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal before he took over as president in 2009.
Zuma did not say which of the four wives he had at the time was the victim. One has since committed suicide and he has divorced the African Union chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Zuma has come under fierce criticism over the spending ahead of Wednesday’s election. He is expected to win a second five-year term despite the scandal.
A public watchdog in March found the president had unduly benefited from the renovations, which included a swimming pool, helipad and private clinic, and ordered him to pay back part of the costs.
“Why should I be charged for it if some people inflated prices?” he hit back on Monday.
He said that the issue had been stirred up by the media and by opposition parties.
“People don’t think the Nkandla is an issue to affect ANC voters,” he said.
A recent snap poll by research firm Pondering Panda showed more than two thirds of young South Africans believe Zuma should resign over the Nkandla scandal.
But the ANC’s anti-apartheid past is likely to be enough to give the party another election landslide.
“We think the ANC will win the elections overwhelmingly, not just, you know, by the skin of its teeth,” Zuma told a news conference two days before the May 7 vote.
High joblessness and poverty levels, as well as a succession of government corruption scandals, are unlikely to reduce support for the ruling African National Congress, which has won each of the four elections since apartheid ended in 1994.
Zuma emphasised South Africa’s progress since the end of white minority rule, especially compared to its African peers.
“All the countries who got independence — not a single one has been able to deliver in the way that we have delivered,” he said, though he acknowledged problems in delivering basic services especially to poor and rural communities.
Many problems were the legacy of apartheid, which had left certain areas underdeveloped and deprived black South Africans of education, he said.
The ANC is expected to garner 63 percent in Wednesday’s vote, according to the latest Ipsos poll, just three points less than in 2009.
But many people are expected to stay away from the ballots, disillusioned with the ruling party but at a loss for a viable political alternative.
The party wrapped up its election campaign in Soweto township on Sunday. Around 90,000 people gathered for a rally at the same stadium that hosted the 2010 football World Cup Final, though many left during the president’s speech.

Post Reply

Posted: at 5-05-2014 03:44 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac

 

Posted: at 5-05-2014 04:01 PM (9 years ago) | Hero

Posted: at 5-05-2014 04:03 PM (9 years ago) | Hero

Hmmm 

Posted: at 5-05-2014 04:17 PM (9 years ago) | Upcoming

      

Posted: at 5-05-2014 04:24 PM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero

What goes around comes around

Posted: at 5-05-2014 04:26 PM (9 years ago) | Hero

Abi na naija Police be her security detail

Posted: at 5-05-2014 04:35 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Seriously?

Posted: at 5-05-2014 04:36 PM (9 years ago) | Newbie

na them them..

Posted: at 5-05-2014 04:37 PM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Tooooo much crime in SA, after effects of war, i guess

Posted: at 5-05-2014 04:44 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Tooooo much crime in SA, after effects of war, i guess

them kidnap 200 girls for South Africa? Them they bomb innocent people for South Africa? Arm robbers they enter people house for South Africa? Where the crime dey I beg? People just say what they don't know...

Posted: at 5-05-2014 04:55 PM (9 years ago) | Upcoming

Your wife was molested MORE THAN A DECADE AGO - and as President for that number of years - the CRIME RATE is getting WORSE everyday!

So the QUESTION IS - who is FAILING who?

Posted: at 5-05-2014 06:21 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac

them kidnap 200 girls for South Africa? Them they bomb innocent people for South Africa? Arm robbers they enter people house for South Africa? Where the crime dey I beg? People just say what they don't know...
I GUES U RE D 1 TAT KNOS NOTHING IF U DOUBT ME COME 2 SA THEN TAKE A STROLL ARUND 8:00PM ON D STREETS OF JO'BURG THEN U'LL KNOW HOWFAR OR JUST OPEN UR DOOR ARUND 8 THEN U GO KNO HW FAR

Posted: at 5-05-2014 06:36 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac

for ur info,evry southy guys walks wif eida a gun or knife in his wallet@list in 9ja I fit waka 11:00pm go buy omo 4 mallam shop bros try am 4 SA

Posted: at 5-05-2014 06:39 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac

 

Posted: at 5-05-2014 06:48 PM (9 years ago) | Hero

Ok

Posted: at 5-05-2014 06:59 PM (9 years ago) | Hero

for ur info,evry southy guys walks wif eida a gun or knife in his wallet@list in 9ja I fit waka 11:00pm go buy omo 4 mallam shop bros try am 4 SA

maybe you should move to a better city... I live in Cape Town, I love it so much that I bought houses and properties here because this place is better than your country and I have no intention of returning to that war zone call Nigeria.

Posted: at 5-05-2014 07:46 PM (9 years ago) | Upcoming

 

Posted: at 5-05-2014 07:49 PM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero

 

Posted: at 5-05-2014 07:57 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac

African politicians are just full of shit. If they're being charged with a crime they committed,they'll say oppositn parties are after them. They don't eva own up.

Posted: at 5-05-2014 08:11 PM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac

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