[2] The use of public funds to make these improvements (including a controversial firepool) received significant media coverage and political opposition.

[3] In line with the Constitutional Court's judgement, Zuma repaid the state for the non-security upgrades – priced at R7.81 million by the National Treasury – in September 2016.

The compound is situated on Nxamalala Farm in the rural region of Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal,[4] where President Jacob Zuma was born and raised.

[6][2] As part of this process, the South African Department of Public Works & Infrastructure (DPWI) built a helipad, underground bunkers, security and their accommodation, a firepool, a chicken-run, and fencing around the entire complex.

The DPWI spokesperson contradicted initial statements by the government, "there is no work or extension project taking place at President Jacob Zuma's compound at Nkandla.

[15] By October 2012, the Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, was preparing to investigate the security upgrades, pursuant to various formal complaints lodged with her office in response to media reports.

[19] On 8 November, the cluster brought an urgent interdict against Madonsela in the Pretoria High Court, seeking to prevent the release of the provisional report.

A provisional draft of Madonsela's report, under the working title "Opulence on a Grand Scale," was leaked to the Mail & Guardian in late November 2013.

[24] The title came from the text of one public complaint, which Madonsela reproduced in the report:"Like all South Africans I have recently read in the media the appalling story of the sums of taxpayers’ money being spent on the private residence of President Jacob Zuma.

[27] In her investigation,[clarification needed] Madonsela said that the Ministerial Handbook had a maximum security spending of R100 000 should The Minister of Public Works issue approval.

[29][30][31] Zuma's spokesperson Mac Maharaj said the opposition party adopted a "cowboy style" approach to getting the answers it wanted, and questioned Zille's use of the word "compound" to describe the homestead.

The ANC submitted an urgent application to the South Gauteng High Court to stop distribution of the text message on the grounds that it violated the Electoral Act.

[36] On 6 May 2014, the Electoral Court ruled that the DA must retract the text message, finding that it wrongly targeted Zuma personally instead of the systematic failures highlighted in Madonsela's report.

[41] The second ad hoc committee challenged the findings of the Public Protector and referred the matter to security experts including the police minister in November 2014.

[47][48] On 18 August 2015, the National Assembly adopted the report of a third parliamentary ad hoc committee which accepted the findings of Nxesi and Nhleko and cleared Zuma.

[49][50] Opposition parties Economic Freedom Fighters and Democratic Alliance subsequently approached the Constitutional Court to enforce the Public Protector's findings.

[52][53] As instructed by the Constitutional Court, the National Treasury instituted an investigation – required to be completed within 60 days of the judgement – to "determine a reasonable percentage of the costs... which ought to be paid personally by the President".