THE AFRICAN National Congress hit back at South Africa’s top ombudsperson yesterday after she accused the governing party of undermining her office.

The office of ANC chief whip Phumelele Stone Sizani spoke out after public protector Thuli Madonsela attacked MPs for not inviting her to advise a committee set up to consider the police minister’s report into state-funded security upgrades at President Jacob Zuma’s home.

The work carried out at Mr Zuma’s homestead in Nkandla included installing a water tank for firefighting and creating a feature to prevent soil erosion on the hillside. Ms Madonsela claimed in her report that they were a swimming pool and an amphitheatre respectively.