Pay Back the Money!!

Things are hotting up back in the homeland!

Number 1 is coming under fire from all sides as he continues to dodge the findings of the Public Protector's report on his "smallholding", Nkandla. (Quick recap: Nkandla is Jay-Zee's presidential palace - sorry "home" which required certain security "upgrades" which ended up costing the South African taxpayer about R250m or a rather paltry 13m GBP!).

Parliament was recently brought to a standstill when Jay Zee was confronted by another parliamentarian, Commander-in-Chief Julius Malema (whose own financial record is not exactly exemplary) on when Number One would be paying back the bucks.

Julius did not receive a satisfactory answer whereupon is merry band-of-red-berets-and-overalls started singing and chanting a not very original "Pay Back the Money!". The Speaker of the House tried to restore calm but to no avail. Slightly chaotic scenes ensued, riot police were marshalled outside the building (which is apparently illegal in the context of parliamentary rules but then no one really obeys the law these days) and the session was brought to a close prematurely. Jay Zee in true presidential fashion was nowhere to be seen; no doubt safely ensconced in the back of his stretch Mercedes drinking a Chivas Regal by the time the Malema and co. were facing off against the South African Police Force - sorry "Service".

It appears however that this latest episode of fraud and corruption is unlikely "to go gently into that good night" as Dylan Thomas so eloquently put it. Indeed the Public Protector has a real bee in her proverbial bonnet over Number 1's refusal to respond to her report in accordance with the law but Jay Zee knows, to calm a bee you need smoke - and that is something he is a past master at - smoke-and-mirrors!

Out.