‘Zuma owes me money’ – Snake catcher
'Nkandla can be overrun with snakes and no-one will help President Zuma’
KEEPING President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead free of deadly snakes could cost First Lady Tobeka Madiba Zuma a whole lot more than she bargained for.
According to Mtunzini snake catcher Jaco Dercksen he was asked to remove snakes from the President’s home in December, but still has not been paid in full.
‘I was contacted by the Tobeka Madiba Zuma Foundation and told my services came highly recommended. I was
requested to come to Nkandla to remove any snakes from the premises as the President would be staying there during the festive season,’ said Dercksen.
Despite reservations, Dercksen accepted the job and travelled to Nkandla, but not before asking for a 50% deposit.
‘I was only asked to clear out house number three, Madiba House. The next day I wrote a report which I sent to them, saying that it was futile to only do one section of the property.’
Soon thereafter a poisonous scorpion was found inside the First Lady’s home.
‘I explained how they needed to go to work to make the place safe, and they asked me then to proceed servicing the entire property and to also fumigate all the homes.’
According to Dercksen, he and a team of five other experienced snake wranglers returned to Nkandla on 31 December.
‘We spent the full day there, but found no snakes on the premises itself. We did find seven other snakes, one a large puff adder, on the perimeter of the property.
‘Soon after I received a letter from Mrs Zuma thanking me on behalf of the President and saying they were very happy with my service. I was then paid the remainder of the R18 000 for my original work, but nothing for the massive amount of extra work done, despite invoicing them for it.’
He says he is owed a further R52 000.
The foundation however, claims three snakes were found after Dercksen worked on the property.
‘I asked them for proof, a photograph or something. They couldn’t provide anything. I have guys that are looking to me for payment, and now I can’t pay them.
‘I don’t care if Nkandla becomes overrun with snakes, I certainly won’t help the President again,’ Dercksen said.
He is now considering taking further legal action against the foundation, as letters of demand sent to the foundation were ignored.
