Zuma SA’s most expensive president

I WONDER who is footing the legal bills of former president Jacob Zuma for his numerous current court cases?

In 2016, former ANC secretary general Cheryl Carolus said the total bill for legal costs of Jacob Zuma over the previous 10 years would have exceeded R1 billion.

Adding to this figure, the R260 million of taxpayers’ money spent on security upgrades at his private Nkandla homestead must surely make him the most expensive president of South Africa – pre and post-apartheid.

To put this figure into perspective. Based on the current annual salary of President Ramaphosa of R2.99 million, and assuming an annual inflationary salary increase of 5% would imply that R245 million would easily cover the salary bill of the president of South African for the next 33 YEARS!

There was an additional amount of R582 million spent on the access road to Nkandla.

Add to the above the approximate R1 billion cost of the State Capture Commission that was instituted to investigate how the Guptas, business partners of Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma, captured the state.

The area of a typical RDP house is 50 square metres with the corresponding building cost being R1 500, in 2013.

Sadly, the R1.8 billion spent on Jacob Zuma and his family could have covered the cost of 24 560 RDP houses and families.

In addition, the cost of accommodation and support of four wives and approximately 20 children of Jacob Zuma, undoubtedly makes him the most expensive president to date.

ADIEL ISMAIL | Mountview