In 2014, the private home of then president, Jacob Zuma, became a site of a scandal when a report by the former public protector Adv Thuli Madonsela found that the former president had unduly benefited from upgrades to the homestead.

The use of public funds to make improvements to the compound, which were said to be for security reasons and which cost over R246m, was criticised by opposition parties. It is important to note that documentation on the upgrades detailed vastly inflated prices for the work done, much of it not going out to tender and huge consulting fees...