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Government ministers in the Justice and Security Cluster have reiterated their commitment to working with the Public Protector.
Several ministers addressed the media on Thursday following statements on Wednesday by advocate Thuli Madonsela in which she said she regretted releasing her interim report on government spending on security upgrades at president Jacob Zuma's home at Nkandla, to the ministers in the security cluster.
They denied taking her to court in a bid to gag the release of the report but rather because they had not been granted the opportunity to make comments on the report of the public protector.
Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said that no government funds had been spent on building any of the houses on the homestead, but said that public funds had been used for the security upgrades at president Jacob Zuma's home.
He also reiterated that the home of the president and those of former presidents have been declared national key points.
Mthethwa also said that government will continue to work with the Public Protector but this must be based on mutual respect for their different mandates.
He said one of the mandates that will not be outsourced, as he put it, is that national security rests with cabinet and the parliament.
