The day of reckoning finally arrived for the Nkandla ‘Pay Back the Money’ brigade and, much to no one’s surprise, Jacob Zuma will not have to pay back a cent. The announcement came courtesy of Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko, who had at his disposal a number of illustrative videos that can best be described as farcical.

Nhleko’s 51-page report found that the famed fire pool, cattle kraal, chicken coop, amphitheatre and visitors’ centre were all necessary to ensure the safety and security of Zuma’s homestead. Here’s News24:

The pool could be used to douse a fire, the cattle and goat kraal and chicken coop kept the animals away from the central security zone and so they did not set off the alarms or beams, the ampitheatre served as an emergency assembly point and protected the soil substrate and a road that ran near it…

The visitors’ centre was also necessary as Zuma hosted visitors and needed privacy.

Does this mean tax deductions for everyday citizens who construct a pool in their back garden? We were also treated to a video demonstrating just how vital the fire pool was to keeping flames at bay, with this from TimesLive:

…a video of the firefighting exercise [was shown] which included dramatic music‚ a call to the firestation and the arrival of the firefighters with small‚ leaking pumps and firefighting hoses which resembled hosepipes.

Apparently laughter rang out around the room during the video screening, with Nhleko himself managing a smile.

We”ll leave the last word to Mmusi Maimane who sent out this tweet.

[sources:news24&timeslive]