South Africa's fight against corruption and maladministration will be judged by the way that it tackles impropriety at all levels of government and business, a leading business group said on Monday.

"Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) notes the release of the Public Protector's report on the investigation into alleged impropriety and unethical conduct related to the President's private residence at Nkandla," BLSA President Bobby Godsell said.

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela released the report last Wednesday, exposing the government's wrongdoing in the controversial renovation of President Jacob Zuma's private home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal Province.

The project cost public funds worth more than 240 million rand (about 23 million U.S. dollars), the report reveals.

In the report, Madonsela claims that Zuma has failed to protect public resources in relation to his private home and that his immediate family improperly benefited from the project.

The report also says the appointment of Zuma's private architect, who earned more than 60 million rand (about 5.7 million dollars) in the project, represents a conflict of interest.

"BLSA believes that the report provides sound evidence of the power and effectiveness of this Chapter Nine institution (the Public Protector's Office), as provided for in South Africa's constitution, to hold government accountable at the highest levels of public office," Godsell said.

"Similarly, we urge all sectors of our society, including the business community to act decisively to expose corruption and the misuse of public funds."

Godsell said BLSA welcomes comments by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) Secretary General Gwede Mantashe that all those found guilty of violations by the report must be pursued and that the state must recover costs.

Mantashe said one day after the report's release that those who failed in the conduct of their duties should face the appropriate consequences, be they government officials or ministers or former ministers.

But Mantashe insisted the Zuma has not been found guilty of corruption, impropriety or maladministration.

Also on Monday, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) demanded a plan by the government to repay the money owed by Zuma to South Africa to be tabled in Parliament and made public.

The DA will seek legal advice as to what recourse there is in the law to ensure that Zuma and all other implicated parties comply fully with the recommendations in the report, should they fail to do so, DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko told a press conference in Cape Town.

In her report, Madonsela demands that Zuma should pay a reasonable percentage of the cost of security upgrades to his private Nkandla home.

The amount to be paid back should be based on the cost of the installation of some or all of the items that were not accepted as security measures, Madonsela recommends.

"The president is to take steps with the assistance of the National Treasury and the SA Police Service to determine the reasonable cost of the measures implemented by the DPW (department of public works) at his private residence that do not relate to security," Mandosela says. Endi

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