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South Africa’s main opposition party, Democratic Alliance, has laid corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma over the use of state money to improve his Nkandla private residence.

The move follows a report by South Africa’s top corruption fighter accusing President Jacob Zuma of unethical conduct over the upgrade of Nkandla house.

The changes to Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla private home, including a pool and cattle enclosure, cost South African taxpayers about $23 million.

Police are now obliged to investigate the Democratic Alliance’s complaint.

It will then be passed on to the National Prosecuting Authority which will decide whether there is a formal case to answer.

The refurbishment of the residence in Nkandla, in Jacob Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal, has turned into a major political controversy in South Africa as the country approaches elections in May.

The changes to Jacob Zuma's Nkandla private home, including a pool and cattle enclosure, cost South African taxpayers about $23 million

The changes to Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla private home, including a pool and cattle enclosure, cost South African taxpayers about $23 million (photo Reuters)

A government probe in December cleared President Jacob Zuma, who came to office in 2009, of any wrongdoing, saying the improvements were needed for security reasons.

“We are laying charges because we want the president to be held personally liable,” said Mmusi Maimane, the national spokesman for the Democratic Alliance (DA).

The report released by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela on Wednesday said Jacob Zuma should repay costs for some of the unnecessary renovations from which he had “benefited unduly”.

Thuli Madonsela said that while it could be “legitimately construed” that Jacob Zuma had misled parliament, he made a “bona fide mistake” over which part of the renovations he was referring to.

Mmusi Maimane led a DA delegation to file their charges against the president at the police station in Nkandla, near Jacob Zuma’s home.

Referring to the Nkandla compound, he said: “I am angered because what we see behind us is corruption of the highest order.

“If we allow this president to continue today we are systematically allowing corruption to thrive in South Africa.”

Earlier, Gwede Mantashe, the secretary general of the governing African National Congress (ANC), said officials implicated in Thuli Madonsela’s report should be brought to book.

Gwede Mantashe dismissed the DA’s earlier calls for Jacob Zuma to be impeached saying opposition parties were trying to “sensationalize” the report.

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President Jacob Zuma has “benefited unduly” from using state money to improve his rural residence in Nkandla, South Africa’s top corruption fighter Thuli Madonsela has said.

The changes to Jacob Zuma’s private home, including a pool and cattle enclosure, cost taxpayers about $23 million.

In a more than 400-page report, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela accused Jacob Zuma of unethical conduct.

Thuli Madonsela said that Jacob Zuma, who faces re-election in May, should repay costs for some of the unnecessary renovations.

The refurbishment of the residence in Nkandla, in Jacob Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal, has turned into a major political controversy in South Africa.

A government probe in December cleared Jacob Zuma, who came to office in May 2009, of any wrongdoing, saying the improvements were needed for security reasons.

Correspondents say it was one of the reasons why Jacob Zuma was booed in December at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president.

Jacob Zuma's Nkandla private home upgrades, including a pool and cattle enclosure, cost taxpayers about $23 million

Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla private home upgrades, including a pool and cattle enclosure, cost taxpayers about $23 million

At a press conference in the capital, Pretoria, Thuli Madonsela, South Africa’s ombudsman, said the cost of the Nkandla upgrades were now estimated at 246 million rand ($23 million).

The original estimate for the work in 2009 was about 27 million rand and the public protector launched her investigation in 2012 after it was reported that about 206 million rand had been spent.

“The president tacitly accepted the implementation of all measures at his residence and has unduly benefited from the enormous capital investment in the non-security installations at his private residence,” the report said.

The report said that while it could be “legitimately construed” that Jacob Zuma had misled parliament over the renovations, it said it was a “bona fide mistake”.

“Some of these measures can be legitimately classified as unlawful and the acts involved constitute improper conduct and maladministration,” the AFP news agency quotes the report as saying.

Thuli Madonsela said Jacob Zuma had 14 days to respond to her report before parliament.

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