Jackson Mthembu’s nemesis

Less than a week after Helen Zille’s latest Twitter-storm about comments she made about the state of education here in the Western Cape versus the same in our neighbours – she called students from the Eastern Cape who attend school here “refugees” – she has gotten all up in the ANC’s grille once more with fresh comments regarding the state of health here versus there.

After been bombarded by criticism of her “refugee” comments on Twitter, Zille deepened the ANC in the Eastern Cape’s ire when she told the Western Cape legislature – during a televised broadcast – how she had arranged for Evelyn Mfengwana to be transferred from Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth to Khayelitsha Hospital in Cape Town.

Mfengwana’s son contacted Zille earlier this year after his 82-year-old mother had not received proper attention at Livingstone Hospital, where she was admitted on January 25. She was also allegedly not given proper medication. Per his request, Zille contacted her colleague Premier, Noxolo Kieviet to investigate the “very poor treatment” Mfengwana was alleged to have received at the hospital.

The ANC in the Eastern Cape has lashed out strongly at Zille, claiming she is performing no less than a “political stunt” this close to a by-election in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro this week. They also claim she was misled by the relatives of the elderly patient, who only wanted her transferred to the Western Cape so she would be closer to them.

Quoth the ANC provincial spokesman Mlibo Qoboshiyane,

This is sheer political ploy. I think she is trying to enter the terrain where she has had great difficulty. The only way for her to receive public sympathy is to prey on children and the sick!

Zille, in response,

The Eastern Cape once more failed a desperately ill person . I assisted a poor, old and ill woman and now you want to twist it? Par for the course.

[Source: Times LIVE]