Police Minister Nathi Nhleko says the amphitheatre at Nkandla is a measure to deter intruders.

Addressing a briefing on his department’s investigation on the upgrades to President Jacob Zuma’s home‚ the Minister quoted a Wikipedia definition of what an amphitheatre is.

Nhleko says that the President’s residence is built on land which slopes‚ which creates problematic damming of water and soil when it rains.

As such‚ soil retaining walls needed to be built.

Showing pictures of an entertainment amphitheatre and the Nkandla “amphitheatre“- Nhleko said it “clearly does not resemble an entertainment area“.

An image of a man sitting on the steps is shown. His feet do not touch the ground.

“Dwarf stepping walls” were a security feature as they did not allow for intruders to hide out the same way that straight walls did.

The stepping up ground retention method is also better than straight walls as retention walls as they are stronger.

Landscaping was introduced to “make good after the construction of the new security access roads“.

The wall also carries a road on top which had to be strong enough to carry the weight of large security vehicles.

It also serves as a primary emergency assembly point.