The longer our national lockdown goes on, the longer the list of South African ministers bungling their way through the handling of said lockdown grows.

It started off with three clear frontrunners – Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Fikile Mbalula, and Bheki Cele – but has grown to involve the basic education ministers involved in yesterday’s inept announcement of the back to school dates, and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma walking back the sale of cigarettes under lockdown alert level 4.

At least in the case of Ndabeni-Abrahams, pictured breaking lockdown rules during a leisurely lunch, she was suspended for two months, and docked one month’s salary.

She’s now facing renewed scrutiny after a video started circulating online, showing her singing and dancing whilst standing next to a brand new BMW.

As if the car manufacturer didn’t have enough bad press after the infamous Kyalami Estate brawl, and the infamous middle finger speeding couple.

Let’s see what all the fuss is about:

Minister @Stellarated wa di busa…. pic.twitter.com/y5PmAF4nXX

— Engineer Matšhela Koko (@koko_matshela) April 28, 2020

Yeah, she doesn’t look out of touch with the lived reality of most South Africans, does she?

Never one to let an opportunity to grab attention pass, Carl Niehaus weighed in:

That’s the same Carl Niehaus who claimed his mother was dead in order to wriggle out of paying a R4,3 million debt. She was not dead – read more on that here – so I think we’ll take his sanctimony with a pinch of salt.

Ndabeni-Abrahams has hit back, claiming the video is actually from a year ago, and is another attempt to smear her name.

She released this statement via her Twitter account:

pic.twitter.com/Roa5xNajki

— Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams (@Stellarated) April 30, 2020

The Sowetan with the gist:

Ndabeni-Abrahams said the video was shot after the general elections in May last year.

“I also would like to draw attention to the fact that car dealerships are closed during the lockdown. I am at home — in line with the lockdown regulations which require citizens to remain at home and observe social distancing rules,” she said.

“It is malicious and mischievous to portray me as a person with no remorse and insensitively displaying opulence at the face of the poor.

“I humbly call on all involved — whether in raising their opinions or circulating it — to avoid the temptation of sensationalism without first verifying the facts.”

Shem.

One thing has become very clear over the past few days, as many South Africans grow weary of muddled messaging from government officials – patience is wearing thin.

For example:

Perhaps if some leaders were more in touch with the feeling amongst citizens, and not their political echo chambers, videos like this wouldn’t have been filmed in the first place.

[source:sowetan]