by Thinus Ferreira
South Africans on Tuesday called for the country's minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, to be fired following her reckless "lets dinner-and-Insta" approach during South Africa's 21-day national lockdown period during which she went to a friend's house to have a meal and had the image shared on social media.
On Sunday Scotland's chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood was fired and asked to resign after she was spotted breaking her own advice to stay at home to help stop the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus and visited her second home.
In New Zealand that country's health minister David Clark was demoted after he was caught out for visiting a beach when he drove his family 20km during that country's national lockdown period.
South Africa's former deputy minister of higher education and training, Mduduzi Manana, posted a picture to Instagram of Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams and others having a meal at his house, saying "It was great to host a former colleague and dear sister cadre Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams on her way back from executing critical and essential services required for the effective functioning of our country during the nationwide lockdown."
Once criticism started, he deleted the Instagram post which was already shared widely.
There's been no statement yet from Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams yet through her spokesperson Mish Molakeng.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday said that he had seen the picture and what happened and that he had asked Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams to "come and see him so that we can discuss the impact of visuals like these. We want to instill a clear message about social distancing, that you must stay at home and don't go around on visitations," Cyril Ramaphosa said.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) member of parliament, Phumzile Van Damme, said that "I will be writing to president Cyril Ramaphosa this afternoon about Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams breaking lockdown rules. She is a leader and must set an example. I hope he takes strong actions against her."
UPDATE - Tuesday 7 April 2020 16:15: In a statement Phumzile van Damme says that "the statement by president Cyril Ramaphosa this afternoon indicating that he has summoned communications and digital technologies minister, Stella Nbabeni-Abrahams is simply not good enough".
"He must set an example as the president of South Africa that lawlessness while our country deals with a global pandemic will not be tolerated, regardless of from whom it comes. He therefore ought to lay a criminal complaint against Ndabeni-Abrahams, a person who he appointed as a Minister and member of his Cabinet. And he must go a further step by removing 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."
"Many have lost jobs and incomes while staying at home as he requested. Some have been brutalized by security forces for not obeying the law. He cannot expect that in these circumstances a mere slap on the wrist will suffice. Ndabeni-Abrahams must go!"
