President Jacob Zuma's Nklandla homestead is falling apart.

This is despite the fact that Zuma supporters have repeatedly argued that the R246-million upgrade to the president's rural compound was vital to keep him safe.

Less than two years after it was erected, the R6.2-million high-security perimeter fence around the homestead is in a disgraceful state.

The Sunday Times visited Nkandla this week and found parts of the fence entirely broken and other sections patched in makeshift fashion with logs and other objects.

Zuma's palatial 8.9ha private residence is surrounded by two rings of 3m-high fence - an internal fence that cost R8.2-million and the outer perimeter fence, which is collapsing.

Perimeter security is bolstered by a R1.8-million CCTV camera installation and a kinematic fence detection system that cost just under R1-million, bringing the cost for the perimeter to more than R17 -million.

What is even more shocking is that, even close to Zuma's main residence within the compound, there is damage to the fence - putting his and his family's security at risk.

Other defects include:

The fence near one of the guardhouses along the dirt road around the homestead appears to have been knocked down and is on the verge of collapse. The metal pole supporting it has been displaced;

The section of the fence around the rondavels built for Zuma's security personnel has completely collapsed and is being supported with logs; and

There is a gaping hole in the fence around the security complex as well as a temporary patch on the same fence.

A local resident said this week that the fence collapsed while contractors were still on site at Zuma's homestead, but nothing was done about it.

The R246-million upgrade and Zuma's response to the scandal have been at the centre of the parliamentary turmoil that has threatened South Africa's democratic processes. Armed riot police stormed parliament 10 days ago to remove rowdy MPs after the latest storm erupted over the Nkandla controversy.

On Friday, Phillip Masilo, legal adviser to Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi, said the ministry was not aware of the issue of the security fence.

"This is the first time I'm hearing this from you. I am not sure because we don't deal with security. The police are permanently there. If there was a problem, they would have picked it up and brought it to the attention of public works," he said.

Masilo also said it was not public works's job to monitor the state of the homestead. Its officials would visit Nkandla only when required to do so.

"It's a national key point under the South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force. Public works is called when there is a problem and they attend to that. So I won't know when last an inspection was done," he said.

Defence force spokesman General Xolani Mabanga referred questions to the police , saying: "As far as I know, internal security is the responsibility of the SAPS."

Security Upgrades

The fence was built as part of phase one of the Nkandla project at the recommendation of the SAPS because the "president could be anywhere on site at any time".

The contract to install the perimeter fence was awarded to Durban businesswoman Thandeka Nene's Bonelela Construction Enterprise and Projects, which secured work worth R98-million on the project.

However, Bonelela's contract was cancelled due to non-performance.

A Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report on the security upgrades, released in August, says Bonelela was paid R1.1-million by Nkandla architect Minenhle Makhanya for the concrete "underdig" for the outer perimeter, which it never carried out.

Bonelela is mentioned in the SIU's R155-million lawsuit against Makhanya, in which it is alleged the company was paid R1.18-million for a fence it never built.

In his report to the Speaker of the National Assembly before the release of the SIU report, Zuma took exception to the "continued conflation of the security upgrades with the construction of buildings for the benefit of security personnel".

He said: "Whilst neither were at my behest, the latter is directly attributable to the fact of my residence being located in a rural area with all the attendant challenges."

But despite the exorbitant security upgrades, the SIU raised concerns about Zuma's safety in Nkandla.

Buried in the last paragraphs of its report, the SIU notes "a number of matters of concern" relating to the security upgrades.

The SIU would not reveal its concerns in the report for security reasons, saying these would be set out in a memorandum it would prepare for the Presidency.

Falling Apart

In her Nkandla report, public protector Thuli Madonsela also had some concerns about security measures at Zuma's homestead, some of which were against the authorised regulations.

There was also no evidence that Makhanya had any experience in the design of security-related projects, she said.

"The argument presented that being an architect qualifies him to design security installations has the same implication as arguing that just because I am a lawyer I am an expert at any area of law. That cannot be logical," she said.

Revelations about breaches in the fence around the president's property follow a Sunday Times report in March that revealed that the R8-million homes built to relocate Zuma's family members as part of the security upgrades were falling apart.

The defects include cracks in the walls of the rondavels, broken window panes, poorly plastered walls and broken bathroom sinks and toilet seats.

The homesteads, separated by a fence from Zuma's homestead, were moved in September 2009 to make way for the upgrades. Makhanya told the public protector that the homesteads were relocated because they would have affected the perimeter fence.

But Madonsela was not convinced and said the argument that their removal was a security requirement was "not borne out by the documents prepared by security experts".

Parliament's Nkandla ad hoc committee, which consisted only of ANC members after an opposition walkout , concluded that Madonsela was not a security expert and therefore could not pronounce on security issues at Zuma's home.

Neither presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj nor police spokesman Solomon Makgale were available for comment.

mthethwab@sundaytimes.co.za

CORRECTION:

In an earlier version of the story, we erroneously implied that Betafence was responsible for the collapsed outer fence.