President Cyril Ramaphosa has summoned communication
minister and NEC member Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams for a meeting after she was
exposed violating the government-imposed lockdown by having lunch with a
friend.
Speaking to the media after a visit to Rand Water on
Tuesday, Ramaphosa said he had seen the picture of Ndabeni-Abrahams having
lunch with former deputy minister Mduduzi Manana, also an ANC NEC (national
executive committee) member.
The NEC is the highest organ of the ANC between national
conferences.
“I have seen the picture of minister Ndabeni Abrahms
sitting at a luncheon with a number of friends and other people, I have asked
her to come and see me so she is going to come and see me and I am going to
have a discussion with her about the impact of visuals like those on what we are
trying to do,” Ramaphosa said.
Manana posted the picture on Instagram on Sunday.
“It was great to host a former colleague and dear sister
Cde Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams (minister of communications and digital
technologies) on her way back from executing critical and essential services
required for the effective functioning of our country during the nationwide
lockdown,” he captioned the now-deleted post.
Ramaphosa said: “We are trying to instill a clear message
to all our people that social distance is important. Let us stay at home. Let
us not be going around with visitations. And if you have to, it must be
work-related."
It is unclear when the meeting between Ramaphosa and
Ndabeni-Abrahams will take place.
ANC secretary-general Jessie Duarte has called out both the
minister and Manana for their actions.
former higher education deputy minister Mduduzi Manana said
communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams was picking up masks and
protective gear from his home before she sat down for lunch.
In a statement issued on Tuesday after public outrage over
a picture showing Manana and Ndabeni-Abrahms having lunch and drinks on Sunday,
Manana said the minister was picking up a donation from his foundation.
He said it was irresponsible for him to have posted the
picture without the required context “creating the impression that it was a
social lunch”.
He said he apologised for the impression created that
Ndabeni-Abrahams was there for a social visit.
“On April 5 2020, I received a call from the minister of
communications and digital technologies, Ms Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, who
informed me that she is visiting a site in the Fourways area where a number of
students are working on the Covid-19 digital services. The minister relayed to
me that the students are in need of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as
masks, gloves and hand sanitisers which my foundation has been handing over to
marginalised communities. I then asked the minister to pass by my private
residence and collect the material which she gladly did,” Manana said in his
statement posted on Instagram.
It is unclear which student programme Manana is referring
to and why the minister physically fetched protective gear herself.
“On her arrival, my family was having lunch and I
courteously inviter her to join us. She then collected the material and headed
to her next assignment. She took the first batch for the Fourways students and
indicated that the next visit will be tomorrow (8 April) at the Menlyn site
which our team will be delivering,” Manana said.
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