Sunday, November 24, 2013

South African media defy ban and print photos of President's lavish home kitted out with pool, football pitch, helipad and tuck-shop using £12.4m of taxpayers' money...

South African media have defied a government warning and splashed pictures of President Jacob Zuma’s lavish private home which was controversially revamped using £12m of taxpayers money.

State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele had on Thursday warned media to stop publishing photographs or footage of Zuma’s rural home, arguing that doing so was in violation of security laws.

But newspapers ignored the warning and yesterday splashed on their front pages pictures of Zuma’s lavishly-refurbished home which comes with a swimming pool, helipad, tuckshop and even a football pitch.

(...)

The government’s decision to spend over £12.4 million ($20 million) of taxpayer money to revamp Zuma’s private property has sparked public anger amid an economic crunch in a country where 10 million people live on social grants and many have only tin shacks for their homes.

It has spent months fighting to keep secret details of public spending on the enormous private estate - dubbed 'Zumaville' - being built in President Zuma's home region of KwaZulu Natal.

However leaks to South African media have already revealed that £12.4 million of public money has so far been poured into the massive upgrade project. Full story...

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