By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has once again faced backlash, this time after a video showed her swearing at a disabled resident during a community meeting in Loerie, Kouga Municipality.
The meeting was held after the launch of an upgraded sewer pump station worth R5.98 million in the municipality.
It turned chaotic after a resident who was being escorted out of the venue swore at Majodina.
In response, the minister was heard telling him to leave and insulting him. The minister is also heard saying that the man had disrespected her.
Kouga municipality administrator Kyle Minnaar, who attended the gathering, said the minister had “chased a disabled member of Loerie out of the hall and called him ‘jou ma se p*es’.”
Minaar said, the incident followed a Q&A session in which a resident being removed disagreed with another attendee. He said the resident may have spoken out of turn but that this did not justify the minister’s response.
It’s disappointing to see a minister act in such a fashion, disrespecting a member of the community but also the entire community,” Minnaar said.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) meanwhile has lodged a complaint with Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests.
George Michalakis, DA parliamentary leader, said President Cyril Ramaphosa must act against Majodina.
“This shows what the ANC thinks about South Africans,” Michalakis said in a statement.
“A Cabinet minister cannot be allowed to respond to members of the public with vulgar insults simply because they are challenged or disagree with her. Ministers are entrusted with serving South Africans and must conduct themselves with dignity, respect and accountability.”
The Kouga Local Municipality issued a statement on the day focusing on the pump station launch, which was funded through the Water Services Infrastructure Grant to address recurring pump failures. The statement made no mention of the confrontation.