Zuma's lawyers respond to watchdog committee's work on private residence

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma may finally have to respond to a watchdog report that questioned his handling the scandal that surrounded an upgrade of his private residence.

Zuma this week made a quick turnaround (through his lawyers), hinting he may repay some of the $23 million (£15 million) of state money used to upgrade the facility.

His lawyer has admitted to a constitutional court on Tuesday he was wrong in refusing to budge to a work’s report on the matter.

“The president agreed that the Ombudsperson of the Republic (responsible for monitoring the use of state funds) required remedial action,” said the lawyer, Jeremy Gauntlett.

In 2014, the Mediator of the Republic, Thuli Madonsela, had issued a report accusing Zuma of having “unduly benefited” of the work.

But Jacob Zuma refused the claims.

Some say his decision to pay back is pure political gimmick as local elections approach.

“We said the president would taste one day in court and nobody believed us,” Zuma’s known critic and leader of the ANC breakaway EFF, Julius Malema, said, adding: “The president will have to repay the money!”