By Anita Dangazele
- Former Nkandla architect Minenhle Makhanya has been ordered to personally repay the state R147,269,444.06 for the security upgrade scandal.
- The project’s cost ballooned from an approved R27.9 million to R216 million, including a fire pool, tunnels and a visitors’ lounge.
The architect behind the security upgrades at former President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead has been ordered to personally repay the state R147,269,444.06, more than a decade after the scandal first became public.
The Special Investigating Unit secured the judgment from the Special Tribunal on Wednesday against Minenhle Makhanya, who was appointed principal agent for the project in 2009. The Tribunal found his appointment itself was unlawful, made without any competitive bidding process, and that he was not even registered as a supplier with the Department of Public Works at the time.
The project’s budget, initially approved at R27,893,067.46 based on security assessments by police and the military, ballooned under Makhanya’s oversight to R216,010,478.24.
Among the additions the Tribunal found he authorised beyond what security officials had actually identified as necessary: tunnels with an exit and three lifts, 20 extra accommodation units, a laundry facility, a visitors’ lounge, basement and VIP parking, a fire pool, the relocation of four and a half households, and extensive landscaping, together costing R68.5 million.
Makhanya was also found to have approved payments above market rates and for work that was never properly accounted for.
Interest of 11.25% a year applies to the judgment amount from the date of the ruling until Makhanya pays it in full, and he has also been ordered to cover the state’s legal costs, including two counsel.
The Tribunal rejected Makhanya’s defence that he was simply following instructions from police and military officials, and dismissed his argument that the claim had lapsed due to the time that had passed. Presiding judge K. Pillay noted that Makhanya was not the only person responsible for the scandal.
“It is regrettable that the first defendant stands alone as the person against whom the Special Investigating Unit has launched action, as he clearly did not act alone in allowing the costs of the upgrade at Nkandla to balloon. However, as architect and principal agent, he bore the responsibility to ensure that the Department of Public Works did not incur fruitless and wasteful expenditure,” the judge said.
The SIU said it will refer any evidence of criminal conduct uncovered during its investigation to the National Prosecuting Authority.
Pictured above: Minenhle Makhanya, the architect ordered to repay R147.2 million over the Nkandla security upgrades.
Image source: SIU
