STAFF REPORTER|
TRANSPORT minister and ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Fikile Mbalula has apologised to cooperative governance and traditional affairs (COGTA) minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
This comes after Mbalula’s Twitter tirade this week where he named Dlamini-Zuma, saying she and former president Jacob Zuma wanted to create a family dynasty in the run-up to the Nasrec conference in 2017.
Dlamini-Zuma is Zuma’a ex-wife.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Mbalula said he ‘unreservedly’ apologises to Dlamini-Zuma for the comments he made on popular social media platform, Twitter.
“On the 8 March 2021, a tweet on my timeline making reference to cde Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, on a comment about a dinner hosted by former president Zuma with candidates who were contesting the ANC presidency, appears to have been construed as an attack on cde Dlamini-Zuma,” said Mbalula.
“It is regretful and unfortunate that my comment may have come across as an attack on the person and integrity of cde Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, as this is was never the intention.”
He added: “I therefore unreservedly apologise to cde Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and wish to assure her that I will keep her name out of any political battles and commentary.”
Mbalula is not apologetic about referring to the Public Protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane as a “hired gun”.
“I wish to reiterate that I stand by my views that she has conducted herself as a hired gun,” Mbalula reiterated in his statement.
Mkhwebane has since opened a criminal case against Mbalula at the Brooklyn police station in Pretoria.
“Fikile Mbalula is becoming completely out of order,” ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule told the media this week.
(SOURCE: INSIDE POLITICS)
