The ANC has admitted to lying in Parliament to defend former President Jacob Zuma’s R3.9m ‘fire pool’ at his home in Nkandla, KZN, when the saga was playing out in 2014.

The startling admission was made by the party’s secretary general, Fikile Mbalula, reports the Mail & Guardian.

At the time of the scandal, former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found in her Secure in Comfort report that Zuma should repay some of the taxpayers’ money which was spent on security measures at Nkandla.

Several government officials, including then Minister of Police Nathi Nhleko, Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi and Deputy Minister of Public Works Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu justified the construction of the swimming pool and defended Zuma, saying it was necessary in case of a fire.

Madonsela found that Zuma had improperly benefitted from an excessive government upgrade to his home and should repay a ‘reasonable percentage’ of about R20m for some of the work.

Mbabula said: ‘You could see that these were lies; it’s very difficult to explain lies. People lost their careers because of that thing,’ he said.

Mbalula’s admission comes at a time when the ANC is infuriated with Zuma, who announced that he would not vote or campaign for the party in this year’s general elections.

Instead, Zuma said he would vote for the newly formed Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.

The leader of civil rights movement #NotInMyName, Siyabulela Jentile, said they were deeply concerned about Mbalula’s comments, because he had openly admitted to defending corruption in Parliament.

Jentile said Mbalula’s admission – and lying under oath by extension – was an insult to the Constitution, Parliament and to South Africans.

‘The (secretary general’s) statements make us wonder (on) how many other occasions the ruling party has had to lie in defence of their Presidents, both past and present – most notably, the Phala Phala farmgate scandal,’ he said.

Full Mail & Guardian report

See also full Cape Argus report