The Inkatha Freedom Party has called on Communications and Digital Technologies Minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, to apologise to South Africans for a “grandiose display” of flouting government's lockdown regulations.
The party was reacting to a social media post by former Deputy Education Minister, Thando Manana, showing the Minister enjoying a meal at his house on Sunday.
IFP MP, Zandile Majozi, said Ministers were not above the law and the regulations.
“Luncheons and gatherings at friends or family are in contravention of the gazetted regulations of the lockdown,” she said.
DA MP, Pumzile van Damme was more forthright, calling on the President to lay criminal charges against the Minister and to remove her from his Cabinet.
“President Ramaphosa addressed the nation twice asking South Africans to obey the law while containment strategies for COVID-19 were being implemented. The majority of the people of our country have done so with diligence,” she said.
Van Damme said Ramaphosa cannot expect that in these circumstances a mere slap on the wrist will suffice.
Meanwhile, Manana issued a statement on Tuesday seeking to clarify the circumstances under which the Minister visited his house.
He said she had called him on Sunday to say that she would be visiting a site in the Fourways area where several students were working on the Covid19 digital services and needed personal protective equipment.
He said that he had asked her to stop over to collect the items, which his Foundation had been handing out to marginalised communities.
Manana said on her arrival his family was having lunch and he invited the Minister to join them.
He said with the benefit of hindsight, he should not have posted the photo on Instagram without a proper explanation.
