ANC youths join calls to help Zuma refund $500,000

The initial call to help embattled President Jacob Zuma repay an amount of over $500,000 to the state treasury started from the powerful wing of the Africa National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province.

The party’s wing in Zuma’s home province have been backed by the ANC Youth League, who are calling for fundraising efforts to help the president foot the bill.

ANC’s provincial spokesman in KZN, Mdumiseni Ntuli, told local media portal, the Sowetan, that they would be ready to “listen” to and “help” Zuma should he approach them.

“If the president approaches us, we will listen to the proposal, apply our minds and make a determination that will be in the best interest of the ANC,” he said.

“I don’t think the court has said how the president should pay. How the president gets money is a matter that is immaterial. Nobody should feel ashamed to assist. The support of the president should not be criminalised,” he added.

The president has been ordered by the Constitutional Court to repay monies in respect of upgrades made to his private Nkandla residence, specifically upgrades that were not security related.

The National Treasury sent a report to the Constitutional Court on Monday in which it stated that Zuma was only personally liable to repay R7.8-million for the non-security features installed as part of the project, which escalated from R27-million to R246-million.

Meanwhile, the ANC Secretary-General, Gwede Mantashe, has cautioned structures of the party against the move to raise funds for Zuma as this would be in contempt of court, adding that Zuma was personally liable in the case.