Zuma Blinks Again: Home-Cost Concession Signals Waning Power
- Zuma asks auditor-general to decide what needs to be paid
- South African court to hear arguments on Nkandla home spending
South African President Jacob Zuma.
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
South African President Jacob Zuma’s agreement to repay state funds spent on renovating his private home marked his second major climb down in two months and showed his grip on power is weakening.
After denying liability for two years, Zuma said on Tuesday he was ready to refund part of the 215.9 million rand ($13.3 million) used to upgrade his private home at Nkandla in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province. He made the announcement before a Feb. 9 hearing by the nation’s highest court to decide whether he was liable to refund some of the costs. In December, Zuma was forced to backtrack on the appointment of a little-known lawmaker as finance minister after the rand and the nation’s bonds dived.